The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team is on schedule to defend its national championship from a year ago after beating Quinnipiac 5-2 in a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup on Saturday for a spot in the women’s Frozen Four.
The Buckeyes join Northeastern, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in Duluth, Minnesota, and will be making their third-straight appearance in the Frozen Four. The way Ohio State did it on Saturday took a little bit but ended up much more decisive than previous runs.
Quinnipiac got on the board first just before the first period ended and took a 1-0 lead into the second stanza. OSU would bring things even though on the power play halfway through the second period on a goal by Gabby Rosenthal. That was followed up quickly thereafter by another goal at 16:00 by Lauren Bernard to give Ohio State a 2-1 advantage entering the third period.
𝙏𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 🎟️#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/e54KjvJpwg
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 12, 2023
From there, the floodgates opened a bit with the Buckeyes scoring three more goals en route to a comfortable 5-2 win.
OSU will now face Northeastern in the first game of a single-elimination, four-team format. The game against the Huskies is set for 3:30 p.m. on Friday. A win would advance Ohio State to the national championship game against the winner of Wisconsin vs. Minnesota next Sunday, March 19, at 4 p.m. ET.
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