Ohio State women’s hockey took the extra conference point in the shootout against Minnesota in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 gameon Saturday thanks to junior forward Jenna Buglioni’s winner. OSU fought back from a loss in Friday’s Game 1.
Junior transfer forward Makenna Webster scored her first goal for OSU (8-1-1, 8-1-1 WCHA) and added two assists. Graduate defender Sophie Jaques had two goals, also scoring in the shootout. Senior goaltender Raygan Kirk made 27 saves.
Redshirt sophomore forward Abbey Murphy scored twice for the Golden Gophers (7-0-1, 7-0-1 WCHA), and fifth-year co-captain Taylor Heise and freshman forward Josefin Bouveng each scored as well. Sophomore goaltender Skylar Vetter made 27 saves.
Murphy opened the scoring 2:23 into the first period, cashing in on her own rebound after Kirk saved her initial shot from the right face-off dot, and Bouveng doubled the lead to 2-0 just 47 seconds later when she broke towards the slot from the right boards before firing a wrist shot high, short-side, from the right circle.
DOWN GOES NO. 1: How Minnesota took Friday’s Game 1 from the Buckeyes
The Buckeyes kept pushing as Webster got them on the board with 4:56 left in the first. It was her second game this season as she has been a standout in field hockey for OSU, which is currently in-season. She suited up for the Buckeyes in a loss at Michigan on Friday night.
A transfer out of Wisconsin in the offseason, Webster won the national championship with the Badgers in 2021 when they beat Northeastern, earning Frozen Four most outstanding player honors.
Murphy extended the Gophers’ lead to 3-1 just 53 seconds into the third period on a breakaway. Minnesota turned defense into offense after Gracie Ostertag’s blocked shot as Grace Zumwinkle sent Murphy in on a breakaway, who beat Kirk with a move to the backhand.
Senior forward Jennifer Gardner cut it to 3-2 just after the halfway point of the period, cashing in from point-blank range after Webster’s partial break was broken up.
OH HOW SWEEP: How the Buckeyes swept Minnesota Duluth in last weekend’s natty rematch
Ohio State continued the pressure, and Jaques tied it on the power play two minutes later with a wrist shot from the right circle off a feed from Webster.
Heise restored Minnesota’s lead with a shorthanded goal with 6:07 to go, winning a race for the puck into the OSU zone before pulling to her backhand and roofing a shot past Kirk.
Under a minute later, Jaques tied it again with a slap shot from the point on the advantage after her first shot wouldn’t go.
Minnesota took four of six possible points from the weekend series. They’ll face No. 5 Minnesota Duluth next weekend.
Ohio State will travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a series with St. Thomas next Saturday and Sunday.
