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Georgia at Ohio State (NIT QFs), Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024, 7 PM, ESPN
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
- 66 Replies
The Ohio State men's basketball team is still
in the NIT. They will play Georgia in a NIT quarterfinal game Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 7 PM in the Schott.
Ohio State Buckeyes to host Georgia Bulldogs for NIT semifinals berth
Ohio State will host Georgia in the third round of the NIT with a shot at the final four on the line.
The Buckeyes, by virtue of being the No. 2 seed in their quadrant, will host No. 4 seed Georgia on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ESPN will televise the game.
Entire article: https://www.dispatch.com/story/spor...tuesday-for-nit-semifinals-berth/73085493007/
Ohio State Buckeyes to host Georgia Bulldogs for NIT semifinals berth
Ohio State will host Georgia in the third round of the NIT with a shot at the final four on the line.
The Buckeyes, by virtue of being the No. 2 seed in their quadrant, will host No. 4 seed Georgia on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ESPN will televise the game.
Entire article: https://www.dispatch.com/story/spor...tuesday-for-nit-semifinals-berth/73085493007/
LGHL Over 66% of Buckeye fans foresee at least an Elite Eight run for Ohio State women
- News
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Over 66% of Buckeye fans foresee at least an Elite Eight run for Ohio State women
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeye fans also have surprisingly reasonable expectations for Jake Diebler’s first season.
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
This is March, baby! Both the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams are still alive in their respective postseason tournaments, and optimism for both programs seems to be as high as it collectively has been in quite a while around Buckeye Nation. to get a feeling for where the fandom was on the future of the basketball teams, earlier this week in our fan survey we ask a couple of forward-looking questions — one into the immediate future and one more distantly.
Take a look at the full results of both questions below and if you have any additional thoughts, please feel free to include them in the comments below.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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I think that it is a shockingly measured and restrained expectation for the team. Considering that the knock on Chris Holtmann was that he couldn’t get out of the first weekend, for fans to view first-year success for Jake Diebler as winning on game in the NCAA Tournament is a bit of a surprise.
Of course, we still don’t exactly know what the roster will look like next year, which could be playing a part in the calculus here. While the two signees in the 2024 recruiting class have both confirmed their commitments, the transfer portal is currently open. While no current Buckeyes have opted to enter it yet, that could happen as soon as the team’s NIT run concludes — hopefully with nets being cut down.
Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner will complete their eligibility at the end of the postseason, meaning that with the two recruits coming in, OSU doesn’t have any more room to add guys from the portal if/until someone leaves.
So, while I admire the restraint from fans to automatically heap sky-high expectations on Diebler in his first season, I think I will withhold my bar for success until I see who is putting on the scarlet and gray next season.
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The Ohio State women’s basketball team took care of business in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday by defeating Maine 80-57. According to just 2% of Buckeye fan respondents, they will lose today against Duke in the Round of 32, most of the rest of the fandom feels like the Bucks have a decent run left in them.
Sixty-eight percent of those who responded to the survey believe that Kevin McGuff’s squad will win at least two more games and 37% foresee them winning at least three more. While they will still have a bit of an uphill battle to take home the title, confidence in JAcy Sheldon, Cotie McMahon, Celeste Taylor, et al. is high.
Speaking of Taylor, today’s game will be an interesting one for her as she faces her former team in the Duke Blue Devils at 12 noon E.T in a game broadcast on ESPN.
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/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25352337/_National_Womens_20_031924.png)
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeye fans also have surprisingly reasonable expectations for Jake Diebler’s first season.
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
This is March, baby! Both the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams are still alive in their respective postseason tournaments, and optimism for both programs seems to be as high as it collectively has been in quite a while around Buckeye Nation. to get a feeling for where the fandom was on the future of the basketball teams, earlier this week in our fan survey we ask a couple of forward-looking questions — one into the immediate future and one more distantly.
Take a look at the full results of both questions below and if you have any additional thoughts, please feel free to include them in the comments below.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Question 1: What do you think are legitimate expectations for Jake Diebler’s first season as OSU’s men’s basketball coach?
I think that it is a shockingly measured and restrained expectation for the team. Considering that the knock on Chris Holtmann was that he couldn’t get out of the first weekend, for fans to view first-year success for Jake Diebler as winning on game in the NCAA Tournament is a bit of a surprise.
Of course, we still don’t exactly know what the roster will look like next year, which could be playing a part in the calculus here. While the two signees in the 2024 recruiting class have both confirmed their commitments, the transfer portal is currently open. While no current Buckeyes have opted to enter it yet, that could happen as soon as the team’s NIT run concludes — hopefully with nets being cut down.
Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner will complete their eligibility at the end of the postseason, meaning that with the two recruits coming in, OSU doesn’t have any more room to add guys from the portal if/until someone leaves.
So, while I admire the restraint from fans to automatically heap sky-high expectations on Diebler in his first season, I think I will withhold my bar for success until I see who is putting on the scarlet and gray next season.
Question 2: Looking at the bracket, where do you think the OSU women’s basketball team will finish in the tournament?
The Ohio State women’s basketball team took care of business in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday by defeating Maine 80-57. According to just 2% of Buckeye fan respondents, they will lose today against Duke in the Round of 32, most of the rest of the fandom feels like the Bucks have a decent run left in them.
Sixty-eight percent of those who responded to the survey believe that Kevin McGuff’s squad will win at least two more games and 37% foresee them winning at least three more. While they will still have a bit of an uphill battle to take home the title, confidence in JAcy Sheldon, Cotie McMahon, Celeste Taylor, et al. is high.
Speaking of Taylor, today’s game will be an interesting one for her as she faces her former team in the Duke Blue Devils at 12 noon E.T in a game broadcast on ESPN.
Bonus Results from the National SB Nation Reacts Survey
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 7 Duke
- News
- 0 Replies
NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 7 Duke
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Blue Devils face each other for the first time in NCAA Tournament history.
Ohio State women’s basketball won on Friday against the Maine Black Bears. Following the game, the Scarlet and Gray sat in the arena, watching to see which side it would face on Sunday.
After the No. 10 Richmond Spiders hit eight threes in the first half, and took a nine-point lead into halftime against the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils, it was anyone’s guess on which way the result would fall.
The Blue Devils, known for a strong focus on defense, slowed the Spiders down in the second half to move into the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round.
Now, it’s time for the Buckeyes and Blue Devils to meet for the first time in March Madness, and it’s a matchup of two different, but effective, defenses and youth versus experience.
When Ohio State guard Celeste Taylor left the Duke program following her graduation last season, she wasn’t the only one. The Blue Devil’s roster returned five players from last year’s roster, which lost in the Second Round, at home.
However, that doesn’t mean Duke suffered. Head coach Kara Lawson brought in freshmen and young transfers, three of them not only average at least 20 minutes per game but they’re the reason why Sunday’s game between the ACC and Big Ten sides could be close.
Leading the young group is transfer guard Taina Mair, a player the Buckeyes have seen before.
Following one season with the Boston College Eagles, who hosted the Scarlet and Gray early in the 2022-23 season, Mair moved within the ACC to the state of North Carolina. Against Ohio State, Mair featured for BC, leading the game with 10 assists in only her third NCAA game. The then-freshman averaged 6.6 assists with Boston, good for second highest total in the conference.
With Duke, Mair is still a facilitator. She leads the Blue Devils with 3.3 assists per game, which looks like a steep drop, but considering the Blue Devil’s offensive potency, it makes sense. Alongside the young Mair is true freshman forward Oluchi Okanawa.
Okanawa, coincidentally coming out of high school from Boston, had a strong first impression in the ACC. averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, all from the bench, Okanawa won the ACC Sixth Player of the Year award. Plus, a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Despite the label of a bench player, Okanawa features prominently for Coach Lawson. The freshman plays 21.5 minutes per game. She’s an important piece on both ends of the court, playing an important part of Duke’s potent defensive tactics.
Watch the Blue Devils defense in games and its players don’t relent. Expect the Blue Devils to play man coverage that sometimes morphs into a zone. Anytime the ball gets close to the paint, a hand goes up and the defense is doing its best to clog lanes and push back even the most simple of offensive moves — disruption similar to what the Buckeyes saw against the Maryland Terrapins in the Big Ten Tournament.
It’s not all underclass youth for Lawson’s side. Duke still has guard Reigan Richardson and center Kennedy Brown, each with the ability to give the Buckeyes issues.
For Richardson, she’s the Blue Devils scorer. Averaging 11.9 points per game doesn’t seem like much, but for how slow the game gets with Duke’s defense, it’s more than enough. Richardson can also turn up the offensive intensity when needed.
Look at Friday’s game against the Richmond Spiders. The scoring followed Richardson. When she was on the rest of the team followed. After a 13-point first quarter, the guard scored nothing in the second, ending with a five-point quarter and a nine-point deficit.
Richardson responded in the second, hitting two three-point shots and 12 total second half baskets, showing how she’s a three-level scorer. When Richardson hits, the rest of the team benefits. For Ohio State, it struggled against a strong scorer in Maine Black Bears’ Anne Simon, leading all scorers in Friday’s first game with 25 points.
The way Brown can frustrate the Buckeyes is inside the paint. At 6-foot-6, the center will make already difficult Ohio State rebounding even tougher. Friday, Ohio State out rebounded Maine, but that was against a smaller team. Brown averages 5.5 rebounds per game but she isn’t rebounding alone. Duke’s roster includes three players who average at least five rebounds per game, making it a point of emphasis for the Buckeyes.
That means Ohio State will have to make the best of their offensive possessions, which the Blue Devils may help give to the Buckeyes.
Duke gives the ball away almost 17 times per game. Partly because of how fast it tries to move the ball up the court. Against Richmond, the Blue Devils used their pace to inbound the ball and send it to the offensive side of the court without hesitation. That’ll mean the press of Ohio State will have to set up quickly.
If it doesn’t, and the ball gets past the first two lines of the Buckeyes defense, it’ll provide more open looks for the ACC side.
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
G- Taina Mair
G- Reigan Richardson
G- Ashlon Jackson
G- Jadyn Donovan
C- Kennedy Brown
Duke will be organized on defense, but struggle offensively. It’ll take time for Ohio State to adjust to the Blue Devils’ defense, but find its chances through strong passing between players.
The experience of Ohio State will prevail over a young Duke side, but it’s going to be close. Coach McGuff’s team will force at least 20 turnovers and grow a lead late in the game, and win the contest on the free throw line.
Date: Sunday, March 24, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
At least four Ohio State players will play their final game in Columbus on Sunday. Sheldon, Taylor and forward Taiyier Parks are done playing in the Schott after the weekend, but maybe not Ohio.
If the Buckeyes win their next three games, the Final Four takes place in Cleveland, Ohio. It gives the players a chance to play one more time in their home state, and in Ohio State’s first Final Four in 31 years.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Blue Devils face each other for the first time in NCAA Tournament history.
Ohio State women’s basketball won on Friday against the Maine Black Bears. Following the game, the Scarlet and Gray sat in the arena, watching to see which side it would face on Sunday.
After the No. 10 Richmond Spiders hit eight threes in the first half, and took a nine-point lead into halftime against the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils, it was anyone’s guess on which way the result would fall.
The Blue Devils, known for a strong focus on defense, slowed the Spiders down in the second half to move into the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round.
Now, it’s time for the Buckeyes and Blue Devils to meet for the first time in March Madness, and it’s a matchup of two different, but effective, defenses and youth versus experience.
Preview
When Ohio State guard Celeste Taylor left the Duke program following her graduation last season, she wasn’t the only one. The Blue Devil’s roster returned five players from last year’s roster, which lost in the Second Round, at home.
However, that doesn’t mean Duke suffered. Head coach Kara Lawson brought in freshmen and young transfers, three of them not only average at least 20 minutes per game but they’re the reason why Sunday’s game between the ACC and Big Ten sides could be close.
Leading the young group is transfer guard Taina Mair, a player the Buckeyes have seen before.
Following one season with the Boston College Eagles, who hosted the Scarlet and Gray early in the 2022-23 season, Mair moved within the ACC to the state of North Carolina. Against Ohio State, Mair featured for BC, leading the game with 10 assists in only her third NCAA game. The then-freshman averaged 6.6 assists with Boston, good for second highest total in the conference.
With Duke, Mair is still a facilitator. She leads the Blue Devils with 3.3 assists per game, which looks like a steep drop, but considering the Blue Devil’s offensive potency, it makes sense. Alongside the young Mair is true freshman forward Oluchi Okanawa.
Okanawa, coincidentally coming out of high school from Boston, had a strong first impression in the ACC. averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, all from the bench, Okanawa won the ACC Sixth Player of the Year award. Plus, a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Despite the label of a bench player, Okanawa features prominently for Coach Lawson. The freshman plays 21.5 minutes per game. She’s an important piece on both ends of the court, playing an important part of Duke’s potent defensive tactics.
Watch the Blue Devils defense in games and its players don’t relent. Expect the Blue Devils to play man coverage that sometimes morphs into a zone. Anytime the ball gets close to the paint, a hand goes up and the defense is doing its best to clog lanes and push back even the most simple of offensive moves — disruption similar to what the Buckeyes saw against the Maryland Terrapins in the Big Ten Tournament.
It’s not all underclass youth for Lawson’s side. Duke still has guard Reigan Richardson and center Kennedy Brown, each with the ability to give the Buckeyes issues.
For Richardson, she’s the Blue Devils scorer. Averaging 11.9 points per game doesn’t seem like much, but for how slow the game gets with Duke’s defense, it’s more than enough. Richardson can also turn up the offensive intensity when needed.
Look at Friday’s game against the Richmond Spiders. The scoring followed Richardson. When she was on the rest of the team followed. After a 13-point first quarter, the guard scored nothing in the second, ending with a five-point quarter and a nine-point deficit.
Richardson responded in the second, hitting two three-point shots and 12 total second half baskets, showing how she’s a three-level scorer. When Richardson hits, the rest of the team benefits. For Ohio State, it struggled against a strong scorer in Maine Black Bears’ Anne Simon, leading all scorers in Friday’s first game with 25 points.
The way Brown can frustrate the Buckeyes is inside the paint. At 6-foot-6, the center will make already difficult Ohio State rebounding even tougher. Friday, Ohio State out rebounded Maine, but that was against a smaller team. Brown averages 5.5 rebounds per game but she isn’t rebounding alone. Duke’s roster includes three players who average at least five rebounds per game, making it a point of emphasis for the Buckeyes.
That means Ohio State will have to make the best of their offensive possessions, which the Blue Devils may help give to the Buckeyes.
Duke gives the ball away almost 17 times per game. Partly because of how fast it tries to move the ball up the court. Against Richmond, the Blue Devils used their pace to inbound the ball and send it to the offensive side of the court without hesitation. That’ll mean the press of Ohio State will have to set up quickly.
If it doesn’t, and the ball gets past the first two lines of the Buckeyes defense, it’ll provide more open looks for the ACC side.
Ohio State
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova
Lineup Notes
- Against Richmond, guard Celeste Taylor had at least five in four different statistical categories, with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and six steals.
- Guard/forward Taylor Thierry’s five offensive rebounds were the only five she had against Maine, the first time Thierry’s only had offensive rebounds in a game this season.
- Ohio State is 16-2 when they hit at least seven three-point shots a game, although the most hit this season (14) came in a loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 3.
Duke
G- Taina Mair
G- Reigan Richardson
G- Ashlon Jackson
G- Jadyn Donovan
C- Kennedy Brown
Lineup Notes
- Guard Reigan Richardson led the Blue Devils with 25 points Friday against the Richmond Spiders. Richardson leads Duke in scoring this season, averaging 11.9 points per game.
- Duke’s 72 points against the Spiders is the 13th time the side reached at least 70 points scored in a game. The Blue Devils average 10 less points scored per game than the Buckeyes.
- Defensively, the Blue Devils allow 57.8 points per game, the lowest in the ACC and 42nd lowest in the nation.
Prediction
Duke will be organized on defense, but struggle offensively. It’ll take time for Ohio State to adjust to the Blue Devils’ defense, but find its chances through strong passing between players.
The experience of Ohio State will prevail over a young Duke side, but it’s going to be close. Coach McGuff’s team will force at least 20 turnovers and grow a lead late in the game, and win the contest on the free throw line.
How to Watch
Date: Sunday, March 24, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
LGHL Prediction: 76-69 Ohio State Buckeyes
Finishing Careers at Home
At least four Ohio State players will play their final game in Columbus on Sunday. Sheldon, Taylor and forward Taiyier Parks are done playing in the Schott after the weekend, but maybe not Ohio.
If the Buckeyes win their next three games, the Final Four takes place in Cleveland, Ohio. It gives the players a chance to play one more time in their home state, and in Ohio State’s first Final Four in 31 years.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State and Wisconsin meet again in the women’s hockey NCAA Championship Game
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State and Wisconsin meet again in the women’s hockey NCAA Championship Game
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Not only is this a rematch of last year’s title game, it will also be the sixth time the Buckeyes and Badgers have met this year.
For the second year in a row, the NCAA women’s ice hockey season ends with a battle between Ohio State and Wisconsin in the championship game.
The Buckeyes will be appearing in their third-straight title game, while this marks the third championship game appearance in the last four years for the Badgers. Today’s battle in New Hampshire will be the sixth matchup of the season between the two best teams in the country.
Ohio State took the first three games between the schools, while Wisconsin has responded by wins in the last two meetings, including the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship Game earlier this month.
The Buckeyes earned their spot in the title game with a 4-1 win over Clarkson in Friday’s first semifinal. The Golden Knights actually got on the board first when Anne Cherkowski scored 2:25 into the game. The lead would last a little over 10 minutes before Makenna Webster’s goal at the 13:53 mark tied the score at one.
The teams would remain tied until Sloane Matthews scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes to go in the third period. Joy Dunne would add her team-leading 23rd goal of the season with three minutes left in the game, and Hadley Hartmetz scored an empty net goal just over a minute later to push the final score to 4-1.
The win by Ohio State was their 34th victory of the season, which set a program record, eclipsing the 33 wins they recorded last season. This year’s Frozen Four semifinal victory had a similar look to last season when Hartmetz, Matthews, and Webster also each scored in a 3-0 victory over Northeastern to send them to a matchup with Wisconsin in the title game.
Now the Buckeyes hope this year has a different ending than last season, when the Badgers were able to grind out a 1-0 win over the Buckeyes in Minnesota. Kirsten Simms’ goal 13:28 into the first period was the only tally of the game by either team.
Along with reaching this year’s title game, a couple more Ohio State players were honored for their play this season. On Thursday, Joy Dunne was named the Julie Chu Rookie of the Year by the Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association. Dunne is the first Buckeye to win the award since it was established in 2014.
The freshman burst onto the scene and became the first Ohio State rookie to record at least 40 points in a season since 2017-18, and her 23 goals this season are currently the most on the team.
Then on Saturday, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes was named a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, marking the second time she has earned the honor. Barnes was also named to the second team back in 2021, making her the ninth Buckeye to earn All-American honors.
Barnes leads an Ohio State defense that is one of the best in the country, and she is also a threat on offense, accumulating 11 goals and 34 points so far this year. Following the win over Clarkson on Friday, Barnes was on the ice for two Buckeye goals, raising her +/- on the season to +70.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in Sunday’s game on Friday, Wisconsin and Colgate battled in the day’s second semifinal. The Badgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the first period when Kirsten Simms scored her 33rd goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Wisconsin doubled their lead when Vivian Jungels scored just over halfway into the game’s final period, and Laila Edwards added an empty net insurance goal after Colgate had pulled one back to make the score 2-1 late in the third period.
The victory on Friday was the 35th NCAA Tournament win for Wisconsin, and their 18th win in the Frozen Four, with both win totals being the most in the country. The Badgers will now be playing in their 11th NCAA Championship Game, and third in the last four seasons. In the previous 10 title game appearances, Wisconsin has lifted the trophy seven times, which is the most by any NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey program.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25351842/2097717547.jpg "2024 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship")
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The leading scorer for Wisconsin this season is Kirsten Simms, who has 33 goals and 42 assists. Sitting just behind Simms when it comes to tallying points is Casey O’Brien, who was credited with an assist in Friday’s game, bringing her total on the season to 50 helpers, which broke a tie with Daryl Watts for most in a season in program history.
Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, and Laila Edwards join Simms and O’Brien as Badgers that have scored at least 20 goals this year, and Cassie Hall sits just one goal shy of that mark.
Look for Wisconsin to start Ava McNaughton between the pipes today. The freshman goaltender earned her 20th win of the season by stopping 25 shots against Colgate on Friday. McNaughton now has a 20-2-0 record this season with five shutouts, a 1.47 goals against average, and a .934 save percentage. Backing up McNaughton is redshirt junior Jane Gervais, who has been just as good as McNaughton this year, posting a 15-3-0 record with six shutouts, a 1.55 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Not only is this a rematch of last year’s title game, it will also be the sixth time the Buckeyes and Badgers have met this year.
For the second year in a row, the NCAA women’s ice hockey season ends with a battle between Ohio State and Wisconsin in the championship game.
The Buckeyes will be appearing in their third-straight title game, while this marks the third championship game appearance in the last four years for the Badgers. Today’s battle in New Hampshire will be the sixth matchup of the season between the two best teams in the country.
Ohio State took the first three games between the schools, while Wisconsin has responded by wins in the last two meetings, including the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship Game earlier this month.
The Buckeyes earned their spot in the title game with a 4-1 win over Clarkson in Friday’s first semifinal. The Golden Knights actually got on the board first when Anne Cherkowski scored 2:25 into the game. The lead would last a little over 10 minutes before Makenna Webster’s goal at the 13:53 mark tied the score at one.
The teams would remain tied until Sloane Matthews scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes to go in the third period. Joy Dunne would add her team-leading 23rd goal of the season with three minutes left in the game, and Hadley Hartmetz scored an empty net goal just over a minute later to push the final score to 4-1.
The win by Ohio State was their 34th victory of the season, which set a program record, eclipsing the 33 wins they recorded last season. This year’s Frozen Four semifinal victory had a similar look to last season when Hartmetz, Matthews, and Webster also each scored in a 3-0 victory over Northeastern to send them to a matchup with Wisconsin in the title game.
Now the Buckeyes hope this year has a different ending than last season, when the Badgers were able to grind out a 1-0 win over the Buckeyes in Minnesota. Kirsten Simms’ goal 13:28 into the first period was the only tally of the game by either team.
Along with reaching this year’s title game, a couple more Ohio State players were honored for their play this season. On Thursday, Joy Dunne was named the Julie Chu Rookie of the Year by the Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association. Dunne is the first Buckeye to win the award since it was established in 2014.
The freshman burst onto the scene and became the first Ohio State rookie to record at least 40 points in a season since 2017-18, and her 23 goals this season are currently the most on the team.
.@Cayla_barnes27 is a CCM/AHCA All-American
Congrats to Barnes on earning Second Team honors #GoBucks | https://t.co/1brw6W89FQ pic.twitter.com/2HduDqQQTH
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 23, 2024
Then on Saturday, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes was named a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, marking the second time she has earned the honor. Barnes was also named to the second team back in 2021, making her the ninth Buckeye to earn All-American honors.
Barnes leads an Ohio State defense that is one of the best in the country, and she is also a threat on offense, accumulating 11 goals and 34 points so far this year. Following the win over Clarkson on Friday, Barnes was on the ice for two Buckeye goals, raising her +/- on the season to +70.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in Sunday’s game on Friday, Wisconsin and Colgate battled in the day’s second semifinal. The Badgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the first period when Kirsten Simms scored her 33rd goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Wisconsin doubled their lead when Vivian Jungels scored just over halfway into the game’s final period, and Laila Edwards added an empty net insurance goal after Colgate had pulled one back to make the score 2-1 late in the third period.
The victory on Friday was the 35th NCAA Tournament win for Wisconsin, and their 18th win in the Frozen Four, with both win totals being the most in the country. The Badgers will now be playing in their 11th NCAA Championship Game, and third in the last four seasons. In the previous 10 title game appearances, Wisconsin has lifted the trophy seven times, which is the most by any NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey program.
The leading scorer for Wisconsin this season is Kirsten Simms, who has 33 goals and 42 assists. Sitting just behind Simms when it comes to tallying points is Casey O’Brien, who was credited with an assist in Friday’s game, bringing her total on the season to 50 helpers, which broke a tie with Daryl Watts for most in a season in program history.
Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, and Laila Edwards join Simms and O’Brien as Badgers that have scored at least 20 goals this year, and Cassie Hall sits just one goal shy of that mark.
Look for Wisconsin to start Ava McNaughton between the pipes today. The freshman goaltender earned her 20th win of the season by stopping 25 shots against Colgate on Friday. McNaughton now has a 20-2-0 record this season with five shutouts, a 1.47 goals against average, and a .934 save percentage. Backing up McNaughton is redshirt junior Jane Gervais, who has been just as good as McNaughton this year, posting a 15-3-0 record with six shutouts, a 1.55 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
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