The Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a 5-3 win over the Bemidji State Beavers in the first round of the WCHA Final Five. Ohio State, seeded fourth in the Final Five, rallied from one-goal deficits twice in the second period, and after fifth-seeded BSU took a 3-2 lead at 12:30 of the period scored the game’s final three goals to win going away.
The game was scoreless for the first 15:47 until Ohio State drew first blood off the stick of Heather Farrell. However BSU would need just 34 seconds to retaliate. Farrell was called for a cross-checking penalty at 15:47, the same time she was credited with her goal, and BSU took advantage of the extra-man opportunity as Alicia Kinsman scored her fourth power-play goal of the year to even the score at a goal apiece.
The teams took the tie into the second period, and Kerri McEwen scored her 12th goal of the season to give BSU its first lead of the afternoon, 2-1, with 8:15 elapsed in the second. From there, the second period was back-and-forth; Ohio State evened the score at 2-2 on an even-strength goal from Jeanne Chapple at 10:17, Bemidji State grabbed its second lead of
the period when Lisa Peters scored her fifth power-play goal of the season at 12:30.
Amber Fryklund committed what would be BSU’s only penalty of the afternoon, a hooking penalty at 14:04 of the second, but it would prove costly. Ohio State evened the score at 3-3 with Jennifer Desson¹s 11th goal of the season at 15:38.
The teams took their 3-3 draw into the third period, but Desson put Ohio State ahead for good with an unassisted goal just 1:19 into the frame. Chapple picked up her second goal of the afternoon at 13:37 of the third to round out the scoring for Ohio State.
Bemidji State’s 2001-02 campaign ends at 12-13-8, 7-11-6 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. BSU set school single-season records for winning percentage (.485), wins in WCHA play (7) and points in WCHA play (20) this season.
Ohio State improved to 18-13-4 with the win, and improved to 3-0-0 all-time in the first round of the WCHA Championship. The Buckeyes advance to the second round where they will face top-seeded Minnesota. Ohio State defeated Minnesota, 5-0, in the semifinals of last year’s Final Five.
