Records fell nearly as fast as the Buckeyes could score Friday night as the Ohio State women’s ice hockey team blanked the visiting Wayne State Warriors, 8-0, at the OSU Ice Arena.
Not only did Ohio State record its largest margin of victory in program history, but freshman Emma Laaksonen also scored the program’s first-ever hat trick. Laaksonen added two assists for seven points, a single-game record. Kelli Halcisak tallied five assists, also an Ohio State individual game record.
The Buckeyes went five-for-seven on the power play, again setting a single-game record for power-play goals. The non-conference victory carried Ohio State to .500 on the season, at 15-15-3 overall, and the Buckeyes remain 11-10-3 in the WCHA. Wayne State sits at 5-22-2 overall and 0-7-1 in the GLWHA.
Laaksonen scored her first of three power-play goals only 1:21 into the game. She took a shot, which was blocked, then picked up the rebound. Emily Hudak and Halcisak connected for the assists. At 9:56 in the first, Shana Frost took a crossing pass from Laaksonen and one-timed the puck past WSU goalie Anna VanderMarliere for OSU’s second power-play goal.
Laaksonen would help the Buckeyes go three-for-four on the power play when
she netted her second goal of the game at 17:15 from Halcisak and Hudak.
At 4:50 in the second stanza, Laaksonen capped off her hat trick with another power-play goal, Halcisak connected with Frost, who set up Laaksonen’s beautiful slapshot which caught the inside corner of the net.
Lindsey Steblen scored her third goal of the season and the Buckeyes’ fifth consecutive on the power play at 7:45 from Erin O’Grady and Katie Frohreich. Corinne Rosen put the Buckeyes up, 6-0, with the first even-strength goal of the game. She tipped Laaksonen’s shot with a quick backhand for her 14th of the season.
Melissa Pirie and Frohreich added two more even-strength goals, at 4:15 and 10:55, respectively, in the third period. Carrie Gill tallied assists on both goals.
The Buckeyes held the Warriors to only six shots on goal and outshot them, 52-6. April Stojak recorded her third-consecutive shutout, picking up only six saves. WSU split time between two goalies. VanderMarliere played 40 minutes and stopped 33 shots and Stacey Bowden had 11 saves.
