Last Updated 5:54 PM, January 29, 2022
Evan Marinofsky

No. 2 Minnesota women's hockey wins Game 2, splits series vs. No. 3 Ohio State

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10:13 pm, January 29, 2022

No. 2 Minnesota uses four-goal second period to beat No. 3 Ohio State, 5-3, and split weekend series

No. 2 Minnesota looked like two different teams in the first and second periods. 

In the first, No. 3 Ohio State had its way with the Gophers, scoring a goal off the stick of Paetyn Levis and controlling the action. The Buckeyes led, 1-0, and outshot the opposition, 12-3. 

But in the second, the Gophers came out firing, notching four goals before the halfway point of the period en route to a 5-3 win and a series split on the weekend. 

It started less than three minutes into the frame when Minnesota's Maggie Nicholson's shot from the blue line found a way through a plethora of players and into the back of the net. It was her first collegiate goal. Less than two minutes later, Taylor Heise scored one from the side of OSU goalie Amanda Thiele to give the Gophers a 2-1 lead. 

Madeline Wethington continued the trend of Gopher goals and potted one past Thiele from the high slot to give her squad a 3-1 lead. Then it was Heise on a 2-on-1 to make it 4-1. For Heise, her two-goal day brought her to 20 on the season, which is a career-high. She also leads the nation in points with 46. 

But Ohio State didn't go down without a fight. 

Roughly six minutes into the final 20, OSU defenseman Sophie Jaques finished off a 4-on-2 to cut the lead to 4-2. Then it was Liz Schepers firing one off of Minnesota defender Emily Brown and over goalie Makayla Pahl to cut the lead to 4-3. 

The comeback was thwarted, however, when Minnesota's Audrey Wethington potted an empty-netter to secure the 5-3 win. 

Pahl finished her day with 32 saves on 35 shots. Thiele countered by stopping 23 of 27 shots. 

With the win, Minnesota splits this massive series with Ohio State after losing in overtime Friday night, 2-1. 

10:02 pm, January 29, 2022

👀 An Ohio State comeback brewing? Liz Schepers pulls the Buckeyes to within one | 4-3 Minnesota, 9:10 P3

The Buckeyes are responding to Minnesota's offensive explosion with one of their own. 

This time it was Liz Schepers who cut through the Minnesota slot and fired a shot that deflected off Minnesota defender Emily Brown and in. It's Schepers' second goal on the weekend. 

Minnesota leads 4-3 with 9:10 to play. 

9:51 pm, January 29, 2022

Ohio State's Sophie Jaques cuts Minnesota lead to two goals | 4-2 Minnesota, 14:51

Sophie Jaques isn't letting Ohio State go down without a fight. 

Clair DeGeorge had the puck at the top of a 4-on-2 rush for Ohio State. DeGeorge sent it down to Liz Schepers, who then dished it across to Jaques for the lamplighter. 

Minnesota leads Ohio State, 4-2, with 14:51 to play in regulation. 

9:36 pm, January 29, 2022

Minnesota explodes for four goals in second period, leads 4-1 after two

While Ohio State had the better first period, Minnesota had the much better second period and snagged more to show for it, leading, 4-1, after 40 minutes. 

It began less than three minutes into the second frame when Maggie Nicholson’s shot from the point had eyes and sailed over the blocker of OSU goalie Amanda Thiele. That tied it 1-1. 

Then, less than two minutes later, Taylor Heise put a shot over Thiele to make it 2-1 Gophers. It was her 19th goal on the season, which set a career-high. It wouldn’t be her last of the period. 

Madeline Wethington followed that up with a goal of her own, beating Thiele from the slot to make it 3-1. Heise added her second of the period and third of the weekend just a few moments later when she sniped one high blocker. 

Minnesota’s offensive explosion all came before the halfway point of the second period. 

While the Gophers lead 4-1, another sign that they dominated the second period was their 14-8 advantage in shots. 

9:03 pm, January 29, 2022

Taylor Heise snipes a goal, continues great weekend | 4-1 Minnesota, 11:41 P2

Entering this weekend, Taylor Heise had a solid case to win this year's Patty Kazmaier Award. After one and a half games against No. 3 Ohio State Friday and today, Heise looks to be the favorite. 

In the middle of an offensive outburst by Minnesota before the halfway point of the second period, Heise created a 2-on-1 on the Ohio State net. With the pass taken away, Heise sniped one over the blocker of Buckeyes netminder Amanda Thiele.

It's her second of the game and third of the weekend. 

The Gophers lead 4-1 with 11:41 to play in the middle frame. 

8:58 pm, January 29, 2022

Madeline Wethington extends the Minnesota lead | 3-1, 14:00 P2

After being dominated in the first period, the Gophers are on a roll, scoring three goals before the halfway point of the second period. This time it was Madeline Wethington. 

Wethington grabbed the puck in the Ohio State slot and fired one past OSU goalie Amanda Thiele who was heavily screened by her teammates. 

The Gophers lead 3-1 with 14:00 left in the second period. 

8:55 pm, January 29, 2022

Taylor Heise gives Minnesota the lead | 2-1, 16:03 P2

The Gophers have come out in the second period a much different team. That is most evident in the most important place: the scoreboard. 

Taylor Heise, the nation's leading point-getter, put one over the top of OSU goaltender Amanda Thiele to give the Gophers the 2-1 lead. 

It's the 19th goal of Heise's season, which is a new career-high. 

8:50 pm, January 29, 2022

Minnesota's Maggie Nicholson ties the game | 1-1, 17:53 P2

What a time for a first collegiate goal. 

Minnesota defenseman Maggie Nicholson ripped a shot from the point that went through a ton of players and over the blocker of Ohio State goalie Amanda Thiele to tie the game, 1-1. 

8:32 pm, January 29, 2022

Ohio State leads Minnesota, 1-0, after one period

The Buckeyes came out strong in their first period of play since last night’s OT win, leading 1-0 after one. 

It started with OSU’s Paetyn Levis opening the scoring with a snipe less than three minutes into the game. 

For the rest of the period, the Buckeyes controlled play. They spent the majority of the first 20 minutes in the Minnesota zone, outshooting the Gophers, 12-3.  

8:07 pm, January 29, 2022

Ohio State's Paetyn Levis opens the scoring | 1-0 Ohio State, 17:04 P1

It didn't take long for Ohio State to pick up where it left off last night. 

Less than three minutes into today's contest, Buckeyes forward Paetyn Levis sniped one over the blocker of Minnesota goalie Makayla Pahl to make it 1-0 Ohio State. 

1:23 am, January 29, 2022

Ohio State takes Game 1 in OT, 2-1

The Buckeyes and Gophers played so even Friday night that they needed an extra frame of hockey to decide the winner. 

Despite the consistent back-and-forth action, Ohio State came away with the 2-1 win after Liz Schepers' OT-winner. 

Schepers potted the goal after teammate Jenna Buglioni dished her the puck on a 2-on-1 in front of the Minnesota net. Prior to that, defenseman Sophie Jaques found Buglioni alone in the slot. It was game over for the Gophers once that happened. 

An Ohio State win didn't seem so sure throughout the game. The Buckeyes trailed, 1-0, from the middle of the second period until midway through the third. They tied it up off a Madison Bizal snipe on the power play with 8:52 in regulation. 

Minnesota's lone lamplighter came when Taylor Heise, the nation's leading point-getter, took over. She entered the Ohio State end, cut middle and fired one over the blocker of Ohio State goalie Amanda Thiele to open the scoring with 10:19 to play in the middle 20 minutes. 

Thiele finished with a spectacular 36 saves on 37 shots. Minnesota goalie Lauren Bench countered by stopping 30 of 32 shots. Even though Minnesota outshot the Buckeyes, 37-32, Ohio State sent more shots in the direction of the net, leading 77-66. 

The main takeaway from Game 1 of this two-game set is that these two teams are close. Yes, they're ranked No. 2 and 3. But there's almost no difference. Both squads could've potted more goals in regulation and both squads could've put an end to OT much earlier. Minnesota could've easily walked away the winner. 

The Gophers and Buckeyes do battle again Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. 

1:15 am, January 29, 2022

Liz Schepers wins it for Ohio State in OT | 2-1 Buckeyes win

Ohio State had a 2-on-1 in front of the Minnesota net late in OT. Not only did the Buckeyes hold the personnel advantage, but the Gophers had been on the ice awhile. It wasn't a good combination for Minnesota. 

Buckeyes forwards Jenna Buglioni and Liz Schepers made the Gophers pay. Buglioni found Schepers just in time for her to fire one past Minnesota goalie Lauren Bench to give OSU the 2-1 win in overtime. 

1:08 am, January 29, 2022

Minnesota-Ohio State headed to OT

Three periods weren't enough to settle the heated matchup between No. 2 Minnesota and No. 3 Ohio State, as the score remains tied, 1-1. 

Minnesota is outshooting Ohio State, 35-31. 

12:51 am, January 29, 2022

Ohio State's Madison Bizal ties the game | 1-1, 8:52, P3

The referees let a lot of physicality go uncalled tonight. With 9:09 left in the third period, they'd seen enough. Minnesota's Catie Skaja was deemed to have interfered too much, and went to the box, putting the country's best power play on the ice. 

It didn't take Ohio State long to capitalize. Buckeyes defenseman Madison Bizal fired one past the blocker of Minnesota goalie Lauren Bench to make it 1-1 for her second goal of the season. 

12:17 am, January 29, 2022

Minnesota leads, 1-0, after two periods

Minnesota superstar Taylor Heise was the big difference-maker in the second period. She registered two of the most important plays. 

The first was her goal. Roughly halfway through the second period, Ohio State was having its way in the Minnesota zone, earning chance after chance. But then Minnesota's Catie Skaja skated the puck out with speed and found Heise streaking down the left side. Heise entered the Ohio State end, cut middle and fired it over the blocker of Buckeyes goaltender Amanda Thiele. 

The other came at the very end of the period. As she flew around the Minnesota zone, she was tripped by OSU's Paetyn Levis, scoring the Gophers a power play to begin the third period. 

Even though Minnesota has the 1-0 lead, Ohio State had lots of scoring chances and is outshooting the Gophers, 20-19, after two periods. The Buckeyes' best chance came with roughly five minutes left in the period when Levis pushed a rebound past a fairly-open Minnesota net.

Gophers netminder Lauren Bench has been superb thus far, stopping all 20 shots she's faced.