The college hockey season is fast drawing to a close. However, it seems 2016-17 has time enough to bestow one more well-deserved honor on Kassidy Sauve. The record-writing goaltender was named a Second Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Sauve's incredible performance this season was the prime reason the Buckeyes enjoyed such an unexpected successful year. She backstopped the team to a 14 victories and a fifth place WCHA finish in what was supposed to be an off season for Ohio State. With Sauve standing tall in net the Buckeyes pulled off upsets of then top 10 teams Bemidji State and North Dakota. She helped OSU force shootouts against both No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 4 Minnesota and was nearly untouchable in non-conference games, allowing just one goal in six outings.
The pride of Whitby, Ontario finished the season with a 2.00 GAA and .942 save percentage despite of facing more shots than any other netminder in the nation and playing in women's college hockey's toughest conference. She blanked Buckeye opponents on six occasions, bringing her career shutout total to 12 and tying the program record for all-time white washings.
Sauve set new Ohio State records for save percentage and total saves in a single season. She fended off a whopping 1,135 shots in all. This astounding stat also ranks her No. 6 for all-time single season saves among NCAA goalies.
Now Sauve makes another mark in the record book. She becomes the first Buckeye to earn an All-American distinction since Natalie Spooner in 2012. She is the only goaltender in Ohio State women's hockey history to accomplish the feat.
Men's Hockey Bucks Face Badgers in B1G Semi
After topping Michigan State in yesterday's quarterfinal match up, third seeded Ohio State moves on to a semifinal against No. 2 Wisconsin this afternoon. The puck is set to drop at 4:30 p.m. The game can be seen live on BTN and streamed via BTN2Go. A radio broadcast is available through 1460 AM. You can also keep up to date with this live national scoreboard.
Updated NCAA Outlook
With both the OSU and Penn State winning yesterday no change of position occurred in the PairWise rankings. The Bucks are still No. 14 going into today's semifinal.
I ran through some scenarios with USCHO's PairWise Predictor last night. Obviously, continuing to advance in the Big Ten tournament is Ohio State's best guarantee of earning an NCAA tourney berth but some scenarios exist by which the Buckeyes get in regardless of the outcome of today's game. There are also couple where even a win over the Badgers leaves OSU on the outside looking in.
The most important results for the Bucks this weekend besides their own seem to be Denver's. The farther that team gets in the NCHC tournament, the better Ohio State's season opening upset of the No. 1 Pioneers looks to the computer.
