Ohio State women’s hockey coach Nadine Muzerall talks to her team. Muzerall, a Marysville resident, will lead OSU into the NCAA tourney. (File photo)
From Journal-Tribune staff reports
The Ohio State women’s hockey team has earned the No. 1 overall seed for the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The Buckeyes (29-6-0) are led by Coach Nadine Muzerall, who lives in Marysville.
Ohio State is ranked number one in the nation and will host the first and second rounds of NCAA tournament action this weekend.
On Saturday, the Buckeyes will face the winner of Thursday evening’s first-round matchup between Quinnipiac (25-9-3) and Syracuse (15-10-6).
At press time, the winner of that game had not yet been decided. That game will be held at 5 p.m. at the OSU Ice Rink.
The Buckeyes earned the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s (WCHA) automatic qualification by winning the league tournament with a 3-2, overtime win over the University of Minnesota in the championship game at Minnesota’s Ridder Arena. Minnesota had been the nation’s top ranked team with OSU ranked second.
The conference tournament championship game saw the Buckeyes rebound from a 2-0 deficit headed into the third period to a 3-2 overtime win over the Gophers.
Sophie Jaques, the conference defensive player of the year and a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award given to the nation’s top female college ice hockey player, scored the Buckeyes’ game-tying goal to send the game to extra time. She sealed the win for Ohio State, scoring again just 23 seconds into 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,” said Muzerall. “I thought it was a back-and-forth game all the way through.
“I just really commend us for coming back from being down 2-0 against the number one team in the country and fighting and finding a way to do it.”
The Buckeyes defeated St. Cloud St. and Wisconsin to get to Minnesota, Muzerall’s alma matter.
The winner of the Columbus Regional will advance to The Final Faceoff set for March 18-20 at Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State University.
Ohio State is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance of the last five seasons.
In 2018, Ohio State defeated Boston College, 2-0, in the first round to advance to the Frozen Four where it fell to Clarkson 1-0 in the tournament semifinal.
As the WCHA Final Faceoff champions in 2020, OSU earned the league’s automatic bid and was the tournament’s No. 5 overall seed. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, canceled the tournament before it started.
Last season, the Buckeyes earned the tournament’s No. 3 overall seed, defeating Boston College, 3-1. They fell to Wisconsin 3-2 in the Frozen Four semifinals.
Muzerall, in her sixth season at the helm of the Buckeyes, was named this year’s WCHA Coach of the Year. She also took the honor in 2018 and 2020.
This season, Muzerall has led the Buckeyes to a program-record 29 wins and the team’s fourth season topping 20 wins of her tenure.
The Buckeyes have set numerous program records this season, including a team-best WCHA wins (21), season goals (166) and season assists (276).
Tickets for Saturday’s game may be purchased online or at the ticket office in the southeast corner of St. John Arena.
Free parking is available for fans in the north St. John and French Field House lots.