Ohio State women’s hockey won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Championship on Friday beating Minnesota Duluth 5-0 to move on to the conference title game.
Five different Buckeyes scored each of the five goals, a trend that has become common for the team throughout the season, presenting a threat from anywhere on the ice. Raygan Kirk was in net and finished the game with the shutout and 17 saves.
Just like it has been for most of the season, the Buckeyes dominated the game, leading in shots on goal 44-17.
The scoring started at 11:03 in the first period when WCHA Rookie of the Year Joy Dunne found the back of the net, weaving around Bulldogs defenders, assisted by Sloane Matthews and Emma Peschel, taking a 1-0 lead.
The Buckeyes didn’t take long to extend that lead when Kiara Zanon scored a goal of her own at 11:47 of the first. Jennifer Gardiner and Jenna Buglioni were credited with assists on the score that put Ohio State up by two goals.
The scoring stopped until 5:31 in the second period. Peschel was able to score off of a shot from near the blue line while Gardiner and Buglioni each had another assist. Then senior Makenna Webster got involved with a goal off of a rebound with Hannah Bilka and Jocelyn Amos each getting a point from the assist.
Olivia Mobley scored the fifth goal for the Buckeyes with Dunne and Matthews getting an assist.
The win comes after seven Buckeyes received WCHA honors with Bilka and Cayla Barnes making first-team All-WCHA. Head coach Nadine Muzerall, who has turned Ohio State into a constant national powerhouse was named WCHA Coach of the Year, her third straight year winning the award, and the fifth of her career.
The Buckeyes will match up against either Wisconsin or Minnesota in the finals which takes place Saturday with the time still yet to be announced.
The selection show for the NCAA tournament takes place on March 10 at noon on ESPNews. Regionals will be March 14-17 and if the Buckeyes can make another appearance in the Frozen Four, the games will be March 22-24.
