COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bemidji State University women's hockey junior goaltender made 41 saves, her third highest total of the season, but No. 1 Ohio State University's Sophie Jaques netted a hat trick to lead the Buckeyes to a 4-1 victory in game one of their Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoff Quarterfinal series Friday evening.
It was a tight hockey game for most of the night but the Buckeyes (29-4-2) scored twice in the final period including an empty-net goal to pull away from the Beavers (5-29-1).
Jaques got things started for the Buckeyes just 1:38 after the opening face-off with her WCHA defensemen leading 20
th goal of the season. The goal would be the only one for the Buckeyes in the period however, as Hogenson turned aside the remaining 12 shots to finish the opening frame with 13.
The Beavers used to the first intermission to gather themselves and it paid off as sophomore
Makenna Deering received the puck after good board play by the Beavers and fired the puck through traffic that found its way to the back of the net just 5:43 into the second frame.
The goal was the second of the season for the South St. Paul, Minn., native and her first since Dec. 16 where she scored her first collegiate goal.
The Buckeyes added to their pressure after Deering's goal looking to regain the lead and out-shot the Beavers 19-3 in the period. However, Hogenson was tracking the puck well and turned aside the period's first 18 shots but with just 0.2 seconds before the second intermission, Jaques beat Hogenson for her second goal of the game while the Beavers were scrambling in front of their netminder.
The top-ranked Buckeyes then closed the door from then on and held the Beavers to just five shots in the final 20 minutes while Jacques completed the hat trick at 12:40 of the period and Emma Maltais scored into the empty net with just 1:01 remaining to seal the 4-1 victory.
Hogenson finished the game stopping 41-of-45 shot for her third highest save total of the season. Bemidji State was out-shot in the game by the defending national champions 45-13.
Bemidji State will play to continue its season tomorrow afternoon in a do-or-die situation. The Beavers must win to extend its best-of-three series with the Buckeyes to Sunday. Game two between the Beavers and Buckeyes will start at 2:00 p.m. CT from OSU Ice Rink.
For more information on the Bemidji State women's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter or Instagram (@BSUBeaversWHKY), or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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