(RV) Huskies Women’s Hockey opens WCHA play at No. 1 Ohio State

Friday, October 7

Columbus, Ohio

5:00 P.M. CT

St. Cloud State

Ohio State

Photo by: Kaitlyn Zuehl

(RV) Huskies Women’s Hockey opens WCHA play at No. 1 Ohio State

10/6/2022 1:25:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Series Notes

St. Cloud State prepares for first WCHA series of 2022-23 against defending NCAA Champions

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – (RV) St. Cloud State Women's Hockey travels to Columbus this weekend to battle defending NCAA Champion and consensus No. 1 Ohio State in their first WCHA series of 2022-23. The Huskies and Buckeyes drop the puck at 6:00 p.m. ET Friday with a 3:00 p.m. ET start on Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink.

Broadcast Information
The series will be streamed on B1G+ along with live stats provided by OSU. Links to both streaming options are available on the SCSU Women's Hockey schedule page.

Last time out
Stellar special teams work sent St. Cloud State past RPI 3-2 on Saturday evening at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, earning the Huskies a season-opening sweep over the Engineers. St. Cloud State killed off each of their three penalties to secure a 6-for-6 weekend while scoring twice on a 5-on-3, setting the tone for a gritty finale. Emma Gentry scored her second goal of the season while Addi Scribner and Klára Hymlárová each lit the lamp for the first time in 2022-23. Sanni Ahola stopped 26 of 28 shots including all seven she faced on the power play, earning the win in her season debut. Scribner provided the eventual game-winning goal early in the third period, following Gentry on an odd-man rush and sending home a rebound after positioning herself perfectly across the slot.

Huskies Primer
Receiving votes in this week's USA Today National poll, St. Cloud State swept RPI in their season-opening series last weekend behind stellar netminding and high-quality special teams play. The Huskies scored on three of their five power plays (60.0%) and killed all six PK chances while JoJo Chobak and Sanni Ahola combined for 43 saves on 45 shots (.956). Taylor Lind was 2-2-4 and plus-two on the weekend, Emma Gentry scored two power play goals and Jenniina Nylund posted three points as the Huskies outscored the Engineers 8-2. McKenna Wesloh (0-1-1, +3) and Taytum Geier (1-0-1, 5 BLK) each had strong performances on the blueline in support of the tenders.

Scouting Ohio State
Defending National Champion Ohio State enters the weekend 2-0-0 with six conference points. The consensus No. 1 team in the country swept Minnesota State on the road last weekend 2-1 and 5-4, erasing deficits in both games to steal a heart-wrenching series from the Mavericks. Preseason All-WCHA selections Sophie Jaques (D), Emma Maltais (F) and Amanda Thiele (G) headline the Buckeyes returner-heavy roster. Jaques was named WCHA Defender of the Year after leading all defenders in points and tying for the league lead in multi-point games among all skaters while Thiele posted the best save percentage of all WCHA tenders. Jennifer Gardiner and Gabby Rosenthal share the team lead in goals this season with two each while Maltais has three assists to earn a three-way tie in points.

Series History
St. Cloud State trails in the all-time series 27-49-10 with their last win coming in Columbus on February 3, 2017 as goals by Lauren Hepsenheide, Christia Moody and Kayla Friesen led the Huskies to a 3-1 final. Janine Alder stopped 33 of 34 shots including 17-of-17 in a pivotal third period that saw Moody and Friesen both score in the first four minutes of the frame. The Huskies are on their longest losing skid of the current series, having dropped 13 straight games to Ohio State including a WCHA Quarterfinals sweep last season.

Message Received
Following a weekend sweep over RPI, the Huskies are receiving votes in the latest USA Today National poll.

Killing Time
The Huskies' WCHA opener serves as a new test for a revamped special teams unit as SCSU faces a daunting power play unit. Last season, Ohio State led the nation with a 37.9% power play while the Huskies posted a 77.3% penalty kill. St. Cloud State showed off an aggressive kill last weekend, going 6-for-6 against RPI. The Buckeyes did not score on their three power play chances at Minnesota State.

Facing Off
Two of the top draw-takers in the WCHA square off this weekend as Jenniina Nylund matches up with Ohio State's Gabby Rosenthal. Nylund won 9.67 draws a game last season, which would have landed her eighth in the conference. Rosenthal led the league in wins per game at 15.18.

Minding Matters
The weekend series features the top-two WCHA save percentage leaders from a season ago with St. Cloud State's JoJo Chobak (.928) and Ohio State's Amanda Thiele (.939). Chobak shut out RPI with 17 saves in her debut last weekend while Thiele allowed five goals with a .865 save rate at Minnesota State over two games.

Chasing 50
Huskies captain Taylor Lind is one point away from becoming the 28^th member of the SCSU 50 Point Club, currently sporting a 17-32-49 line.

Familiar Foes
St. Cloud State head coach Brian Idalski had Ohio State's number in his time with North Dakota, leading the Fighting Hawks to WCHA Quarterfinal wins over the Buckeyes in 2015 and 2017. Huskies assistant Mira Jalosuo played for Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall while the latter was on the Minnesota bench in the early 2010s.

JoJo's House
SCSU goaltender JoJo Chobak made a statement in her first collegiate start last season at the OSU Ice Rink, introducing herself to a sold-out crowd by shutting out the then-No. 2 Buckeyes with 27 saves on January 21.

Centering
Junior forward Emma Gentry made her debut as a center last weekend after spending her first two campaigns as a wing, winning 11 draws and scoring a pair of power play goals.

Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.