MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Sophie Jaques scored her second goal of the game just 23 seconds into overtime, giving the Ohio State University a 3-2 win over the University of Minnesota in the WCHA Final Faceoff championship game at Ridder Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The win secured the Buckeyes' second WCHA postseason title and first since 2019-20 and earned Ohio State the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship.
Ohio State (29-6-0) rallied with three unanswered goals on the way to the 3-2 overtime win. After the nation's top two teams played a scoreless first period, Minnesota (29-8-1) scored twice in the second period to take a 2-0 lead into the second intermission. The Buckeyes tied the game at 2-2 in the third period before Jaques scored the deciding goal on the power play in overtime.
"It kind of feels like a national championship-you have number one and two in the country, and honestly, at this time of the year, it's anybody's game. I thought it was a back-and-forth game all the way through," Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall said. "I just really commend (our team) for coming back from being down two to nothing against the number one team in the country and fighting and finding a way to do it."
Jaques led all players with two points on a pair of goals and was named the 2022 WCHA Final Faceoff's Most Outstanding Player. The Buckeyes also got a goal from Sara Saekkinen and 31 saves from Amanda Thiele in the championship win. Liz Schepers joined the trio to round out OSU's representatives on the league's all-tournament team.
Meanwhile, WCHA regular-season champion University of Minnesota (29-7-1) received goals from senior Abigail Boreen and WCHA Rookie of the Year Peyton Hemp, and senior goaltender Lauren Bench made 26 saves for the Maroon & Gold against the Buckeyes. Minnesota had the advantage in shots on goal, outshooting Ohio State, 33-29. Boreen and Madeline Wethington represented Minnesota on the all-tournament team.
"What a hockey game. I sure hope the fans were entertained," Minnesota head coach Brad Frost said. "It was a pretty fun game to be a part of. Obviously not super excited about the result, but there were chances both ways. Both teams played really well. It's what you would expect from the best league in the country and two of the top teams in the country. We'll learn from it, and fortunately we're playing next week, so we're excited about that."
Locked in a scoreless tie after the opening period, the Gophers' top line opened the scoring when Boreen netted her 24th goal of the season off a feed from linemates WCHA Player of the Year Taylor Heise and senior Catie Skaja. Heise dropped the puck to Boreen, who took advantage of time and space and tucked the puck past Thiele to give the Gophers the lead at the 7:22 mark of the second period.
Minnesota extended its lead to two in the final minute of the second period when Hemp tipped in a shot from the stick of senior Olivia Knowles. Fellow senior Emily Oden found Knowles with a cross-ice pass, and Knowles one-timed the shot from the left faceoff dot. Hemp then deflected the puck past Thiele in front.
Playing in its third-straight WCHA title game, Ohio State rallied in the third period. The Buckeyes got on the board when Saekkinen solved Bench at the 3:14 mark of the final stanza. Senior Gabby Rosenthal dug the puck out from behind the Minnesota net and found Lauren Bernard, who poked it to Saekkinen at the top of the crease.
"They turned around and scored two goals in the second, and we had to regroup after that. We got into the locker room, got in their ear a little bit, and they responded," Muzerall said. "That's what's best about this team, their heart and their character and the family that we have amongst one another. We've got to lean in and hold each other accountable to be better. In order to win, we have to elevate our game."
Getting within one, Ohio State took the momentum, and at the midway point of the period, Jaques fired a shot in the slot through traffic that deflected past Bench to tie the game at 2-2 with 9:33 remaining. Sophomore Riley Brengman and Schepers picked up the assists on the play.
Both teams had opportunities to end the game in regulation. Minnesota peppered Thiele on a late power play and appeared to have scored as the penalty expired with 3:31 remaining, but the goal was immediately waived off.
The Buckeyes then capitalized on their second power play of the game. Knowles was called for checking with eight seconds remaining in regulation, and Jaques wasted no time putting the game away in overtime with her 11th power-play goal of the season.
"When you have Sophie Jaques on your power play, the number one power-play goal scorer in the country, you want to get her the puck," Muzerall said. "She's clutch. I don't know if you know her, but she's extremely calm and collected under pressure."
The Buckeyes finished the game one-for-two on the power play while holding the Gophers scoreless on their lone opportunity with the skater advantage.
With the win, Ohio State earns the league's automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship. The NCAA selection show will air on Sunday night at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNews.
2022 WCHA Final Faceoff All-Tournament Team
Liz Schepers, Ohio State, Forward
Abigail Boreen, Minnesota, Forward
Sara Saekkinen, Ohio State, Forward
Sophie Jaques, Ohio State, Defense (Most Outstanding Player)
Madeline Wethington, Minnesota, Defense
Amanda Thiele, Ohio State, Goaltender
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league on Twitter and Instagram @WCHA_WHockey, and online at wcha.com.