After sweeping its first-round series against Minnesota State last week, Ohio State advanced to its first WCHA semifinal since 2013. The Buckeyes made short work of the Mavericks thanks to an outpouring of goals, including five from Maddy Field, and quality goaltending by freshman Amanda Zeglen who filled in for injured starter Kassidy Sauve.
| Game Info | Saturday |
|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 6pm ET |
| Location | Minneapolis, MN |
| Online Stream | via MIN (free) |
The Bucks also enjoyed some individual recognition over the past week. Tatum Skaggs earned the WCHA’s Offensive Player of the Month honor for the second consecutive month. Emma Maltais racked up a fourth Rookie of the Month nod, so it will come as no surprise that she was also named the conference’s Rookie of the Year. Also unsurprising, but thoroughly deserved, Buckeye head coach Nadine Muzerall was crowned the WCHA Coach of the Year.
| Team Stats | Minnesota | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 22-10-3 | 23-9-4 |
| National Polls | No. 7 / No. 7 | No. 5 / No. 5 |
| Avg. Goals For / Against | 3.26 / 2.11 | 3.06 / 2.06 |
| Power Play / Penalty Kill | 20.6% / 85.9% | 16.2% / 86.6% |
| Points Leader | Grace Zumwinkle (35) | Emma Maltais (40) |
| Top Goaltender | Sidney Peters (1.96/.916) | Kassidy Sauve (1.99/.934) |
These are laudable achievements, but the Buckeyes don’t have time to enjoy their laurels now. They are smack in the middle of their postseason run with a shot at adding glory to their already historic season. Ohio State has never won the WCHA tournament or made an appearance in the NCAA tourney. Both of those things could change this weekend, but first, the Buckeyes have to get by third seed and national No. 7 Minnesota in the conference semis.
OSU comes into the game in an unusual position of power. The Bucks claimed the regular season series with a 3-0-1-1 record over Minnesota. Though the Buckeyes have had their number this season, the Gophers are always dangerous opponents. They’re highly skilled, well coached, and they’ll be playing in front of a hometown crowd in Minneapolis.
Plus Minnesota has a lot riding on the outcome of this game. If the Gophers don’t win the WCHA tourney and claim the champ’s NCAA tournament autobid, their season might be over. They are currently the eighth team in the eight-team field according to the unofficial but highly accurate PairWise rankings. Which is really more like a seven-team field since we already know the CHA tourney winner will “steal” one of those spots.
And if Minnesota gets in, then Ohio State might not. The Buckeyes are a bit further up the NCAA tournament’s invite list at No. 6 in the PairWise, but they are still very much on the bubble. (The outlook for both teams does improve if No. 5 Saint Anselm is removed from the picture.)
Fortunately, Ohio State still has control over its own fate. The Buckeyes can erase Minnesota from the equation on Saturday and, at the same time, pick up a top-10 win for their resume. They will need another full team effort to do so, especially if Sauve is less than 100% (or unable to go at all). They’ll also have to overcome the road woes that plagued them late in the season.
I’m not about to jinx them by predicting victory, but after all these Buckeye women have accomplished this year, I certainly wouldn’t bet against them now. If you’re not in the Minneapolis area this week you can stream the semifinals, as well as Sunday’s championship game, live for free via the link provided in the Game Info on the right.
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To help punch Ohio State’s ticket to the NCAA tourney, here’s who you should be rooting for in this weekend’s conference semis/finals.
ECAC: A championship victory by either No. 2 Clarkson or No. 4 Colgate does no harm to the Buckeyes. It is especially important that Colgate knock off No. 6 Cornell in the semis. Big Red is breathing down OSU’s neck in the PairWise. Another top-10 win for Cornell is no bueno for the Bucks.
Hockey East: Pull for No. 3 Boston College all the way. An upset by any of the three remaining semifinalists - Connecticut, Northeastern, or No. 10 Maine - puts Ohio State in a precarious position.
CHA: All of these teams lie outside the top-8 in the PairWise rankings so the champ is going to “steal” the last spot in the NCAA tournament with their autobid. A Robert Morris-Mercyhurst final boosts the Buckeyes’ resume a bit since OSU faced both teams during the regular season. A Bobby Mo championship probably helps the Bucks the most.
WCHA: Ohio State, obviously. But if the Bucks fall then we all become ardent Badger supporters. Icky, I know. But it's temporary and for a very good cause.
- The 2018 NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament Selection Show is on NCAA.com at 9pm ET Sunday.
- Need a good read? Check out this cool feature on 2018 Hockey Humanitarian finalist and all-around phenomenal human Lauren Spring.
