BEMIDJI 鈥� If hockey games were decided solely on the second and third periods, Bemidji State would have turned some heads around the WCHA on Friday night.
Unfortunately for the Beavers, all three periods count.
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Ohio State, ranked No. 5/1 in the country, wasn鈥檛 going to start 0-3-0, and it made sure of it in the first period.
The Buckeyes scored three goals on their first three shots en route to spoiling BSU鈥檚 home and season opener on Friday night at the Sanford Center. OSU potted five in the opening frame on its way to an 8-2 win.
鈥淚n our defensive zone, we got caught running around a lot,鈥� Bemidji State head coach Amber Fryklund said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 communicating, and that鈥檚 something we can control. We made some adjustments before the second period, and I thought we got better. Getting that first (game) out of the way, there鈥檚 so many details and habits that we will (see) in game film.鈥�
Ohio State led 3-0 at the first-period media timeout, with goals from Makenna Webster, Josie St. Martin and Kiara Zanon. Webster scored her second goal with 6:20 left in the first period before Jocelyn Amos made it 5-0.
But just when it looked like it was going to end up as a repeat of last season鈥檚 WCHA Playoff quarterfinal, a series where OSU outscored the Beavers 18-1, BSU found some life.
Sophomore defenseman Riley Reeves hit the post in the waning minutes of the opening frame. Sophomore Hailey Armstrong was stuffed by Buckeyes goalie Amanda Thiele on a breakaway shortly after.
It proved to be a turning point for Bemidji State.
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鈥淔irst-period jitters,鈥� Fryklund said with a laugh. 鈥淲e talked about how we make sure we competed every single shift. We talked about playing good in the defensive zone and getting pucks to the net. Without the first period, I thought we did those things pretty well tonight.鈥�
Armstrong was given another chance on a breakaway in the second period. While shorthanded, she beat Thiele with a left-to-right deke for BSU鈥檚 first goal this season.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been working really hard, and it鈥檚 fun to see her get rewarded for her hard work,鈥� Fryklund said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a goal scorer, so it鈥檚 fun to see her get that one.鈥�
Redshirt freshman Isa Goettl, a transfer from Minnesota, scored her first collegiate goal in the third period. Goettle, who played one game last season for the Gophers, cleaned up a loose puck near the goal mouth, with assists going to Morgan Smith and Shelby Sanberg.
Smith, a freshman, and Sandberg, a sophomore, played on a line with Goettl on Friday. The trio had one career point between the three of them heading into this season.
鈥淚鈥檓 super proud of her, her effort and her compete,鈥� Fryklund said of Goettl. 鈥淚t was really neat to see her rewarded for all of that, too. I thought all of our first-year players played really well and did a really good job.鈥�
BSU also turned to graduate transfer Josie Bothun in goal. She made 26 saves in her first game with the Beavers.
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Bemidji State threw eight new college hockey players in the lineup on Friday, including six freshmen. It was a lineup that held one of the nation鈥檚 powerhouses to just two goals on 22 shots over the final two periods.
The Buckeyes scored three goals in the final two periods. Jordyn Petrie had two of them, while Jocelyn Amos had another.
鈥淲e talk about celebrating the small wins,鈥� Fryklund said. 鈥淲e scored two goals, scored a (shorthanded goal). Isa, a freshman, scored her first goal. We鈥檙e going to take this, learn from it and come back tomorrow and be better.鈥�
The Beavers are back at the Sanford Center at 3:01 p.m. on Saturday to close out the series against OSU. After how the final two periods finished, Fryklund sees a stroke of poise from her team despite the six-goal loss.
鈥淲e (wanted) to get pucks behind their defense and take advantage of our speed,鈥� Fryklund said. 鈥淲e kind of found out we could get behind them. That helped our confidence.鈥�
No. 5/1 Ohio State 8, Bemidji State 2
OSU 5 2 1 鈥� 8
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BSU 0 1 1 鈥� 2
First period 鈥� OSU GOAL: Webster (Buglioni, Wheeler) 2:24; OSU GOAL: Martin (Peschel, Zanon) 6:06; OSU GOAL: Buglioni (Disher, Brengman) 12:19; OSU GOAL: Webster (Wheeler) 13:40.
Second period 鈥� OSU GOAL: Amos (Peschel) 2:24; BSU GOAL: Armstrong (Reeves, G. Hendrickson) SH, 10:29; OSU GOAL: Petrie (Peschel, Webster) PP, 14:40.
Third period 鈥� BSU GOAL: Goettl (Smith, Sandberg) 4:52; OSU GOAL: Petrie (McCoshen, Peschel) 9;43.
Saves 鈥� Bothun (BSU) 26; Thiele (OSU) 8.
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