With 59.6 seconds remaining in overtime of a national championship rematch, Ohio State junior forward Jenna Buglioni won a race for the puck at center ice, and broke in all alone on Minnesota Duluth netminder Emma Soderberg, scoring with a wrist shot to the glove side to win the game 3-2 for the No. 1 Buckeyes and handing the Bulldogs their first loss.
Buglioni scored in the second period for OSU (7-0-0, 7-0-0 WCHA) as well. Senior forward Jennifer Gardner also found the back of the net, while junior goaltender Amanda Thiele made 15 saves.
Junior forward Clara Van Wieren and graduate forward Maggie Flaherty each scored for No. 4 UMD (6-1-0, 2-1-0 WCHA). Soderberg made 29 saves.
Buglioni opened the scoring on the power play less than two minutes in the second period, redirecting Riley Brengman’s shot from the point through Soderberg’s legs.
Duluth answered on a 3-on-1 in the back half of the period when Van Wieren opted to shoot, beating Thiele under the pad.
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Gardner restored Ohio State’s lead less than five minutes later, ripping a wrist shot to the glove side right off the face-off. Buglioni nearly made it 3-1, but the officials waved it off as the puck was batted in with a high stick.
The Bulldogs applied the pressure in search of an equalizer, and found it with 12:04 left in regulation as Flaherty fired a one-timer off a feed from Mannon McMahon after a UMD power play expired.
In overtime, Duluth sustained chances from Ohio State, but the defense kept bending before eventually breaking as Buglioni came through in the clutch.
The Bulldogs were 0-for-2 on the power play, while OSU made the most of their one opportunity.
Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 3 p.m. at OSU Rink as the Buckeyes look to remain unbeaten.
