OSU women to face Wisconsin for hockey national championship

DULUTH, Minn. − The Ohio State women’s hockey team will have a chance to defend its national championship thanks to a 3-0 NCAA semifinal win over Northeastern on Friday.

The Buckeyes will face Wisconsin for the championship at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Buckeyes dominated Northeastern, outshooting the Huskies 53-15 and controlling the puck for much of the game. They scored their first goal just 76 seconds into the game. Freshman Sloane Matthews buried the rebound on a Kenzie Hauswirth pass to make it 1-0. It’s telling of the Buckeyes' depth that a third-line rookie was the one that scored the game-winning goal.

Ohio State:Sophie Jaques wins Kazmaier award, given to nation's top women's hockey player

Ohio State:Sophie Jaques' quiet domination leads Ohio State women's hockey into NCAA Frozen Four

But a season of preparing for this moment left Matthews confident and able to get over her nerves the moment the puck dropped.

“I was nervous before the game," she said. "Immediately as I slipped on the ice, everything just went away, and I really dialed in."

Northeastern coach Dave Flint said Ohio State was the better team and that his squad was unable to generate offense. He compared the game to a track meet and said his team could not keep up.

Flint’s assessment was confirmation that the focused relentlessness that is the hallmark of coach Nadine Muzerall’s success with the Buckeyes has the desired effect of tiring opponents, frustrating skaters and making Ohio State difficult to play against.

At every point in the game the Huskies had difficulty mustering the speed, finesse and fast play that led them to their third straight Frozen Four and sixth straight Hockey East title.

“I’ve coached hockey in Division I as an assistant and as a head coach," OSU's Nadine Muzerall said, "and honestly that is probably the best hockey game that I have ever coached in terms of pride in what my team accomplished."

Northeastern looked to tie the game late in the first period, but Muzerall immediately challenged the goal for a hand pass. She said she saw the play and went with her gut and had her decision to call for the challenge confirmed by Sophie Jaques, who was tangled up in the play in question.

The goal was overturned and Ohio State maintained momentum. Early in the second, the Buckeyes killed a long 5-on-3 power play by pushing the Huskies to the perimeter and not letting pucks through the middle. Those two plays were major turning points for Ohio State and served to build its confidence.

“You have to go with your trusted horse," Muzerall said of her penalty killing unit on the 5-on-3. "We put out our veterans and they were composed. They knew what was at stake. I was very proud of their stick positioning and blocking shots.”

One way Muzerall has been able to build and grow the program is through transfer players. Makenna Webster moved to Ohio State from Wisconsin to become a two-sport athlete in field and ice hockey. She missed time with Muzerall’s team at the beginning of the season as she closed out the field hockey schedule. But she has been worth the wait. She put a fine point on that by scoring the Buckeyes’ second goal.

Midway through the second period she took a centering pass from senior Jenn Gardiner between the faceoff circles and one-timed it into the net.

Hadley Hartmetz is in her second season with the Buckeyes after starting her career at Boston College. The senior scored with under two minutes to play in the second, putting the game out of reach.

“We put a lot of lethal shots on net," Muzerall said. "We had great goaltending, and all through our depth chart everybody stepped up. We trusted everybody on the ice and they made great things happen. To be that relentless, poised and composed at the same time spoke volumes about our mental and physical ability.

“If you want to win, you have to do all the little things - away from the puck too - to be a champion."

In the other semifinal, Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 3-2.

Jaques win Kazmaier Award

Ohio State defenseman Sophie Jaques was named the winner of the Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top player in the country.

Jaques, who was a finalist last year, is the first Ohio State player to win the award.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

When: 4 p.m. SundayWatch: ESPNU

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women advance to hockey national championship game