St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Loses to Ohio State | Hockey News

No. 2 Ohio State Overpowers No. 11 St. Cloud State in WCHA Opener

A dominant performance by the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes resulted in a 5-1 victory over the No. 11 St. Cloud State Huskies on Friday evening at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio. The loss marks the Huskies’ fifth of the season, while the Buckeyes continue thier strong start with a 6-1-0 record.

The Buckeyes established control early, scoring the only goal of the first period. St. Cloud State responded in the second period with a resolute individual effort from freshman forward Maria Mikaelyan, who skillfully navigated past the Ohio State defense to tie the game. Though, the momentum proved short-lived as Ohio State regained the lead with a penalty shot and extended their advantage throughout the remainder of the contest.

Did you know?-Ohio State and St. Cloud State first met on the ice in 1999.The Buckeyes won the inaugural matchup 5-2, beginning a long-standing rivalry within the WCHA.

Mikaelyan Shines in Loss for SCSU

Despite the final score, Mikaelyan’s performance was a luminous spot for the Huskies. The freshman forward not only scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season, surpassing junior forward Alice Sauriol, but also led St.Cloud State in shots on goal with six.

Assists on Mikaelyan’s goal came from senior forward Avery Farrell with the primary assist and junior forward Payton Holloway providing the secondary assist. Farrell’s assist marked her 30th career point, while Holloway also secured her fourth assist of the season.

Pro tip:-When analyzing hockey stats, shots on goal are a key indicator of offensive pressure. A higher shot total often correlates with more scoring opportunities.

Buckeyes Control Play,Huskies Struggle on Special Teams

Ohio State’s victory was built on a foundation of strong offensive pressure and effective special teams play. The Buckeyes outshot the Huskies 29-12 and dominated faceoffs,winning 72.7% of them. St. Cloud State, conversely, struggled on both the penalty kill, going 0-for-1, and the power play, failing to convert on four opportunities.

Throughout the season,SCSU has a 74.1% success rate on the penalty kill (20-for-27) but only a 15.4% conversion rate on the power play (4-for-26).

Key Performances and career Milestones

Beyond the scoring, several huskies made notable contributions. Freshman defender Sydney Lamb blocked a career-high three shots, demonstrating defensive resilience. Graduate goaltender Jojo Chobak delivered a standout performance, making a season-high 35 saves and surpassing 1,500 saves for her career.

Historically, St. Cloud State has faced challenges against ohio State, moving to 32-65-12 all-time against the Buckeyes and 15-30-8 in games played in Columbus.This season, the Huskies are 2-5-0 against ranked opponents and 1-3-0 in away games.

Reader question:-What adjustments do you think St. Cloud State needs to make on special teams to be more competitive against top-ranked opponents?

Up Next for the Huskies

St. Cloud State will look to even the series against ohio State on Saturday, with puck drop scheduled for 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET at the OSU Ice Rink. coverage links can be found on the SCSU Women’s hockey schedule pa