Macleod 5-0 Shutout Punches Ohio State Buckeyes’ Ticket to NCAA National Championship

Ohio State goaltender Hailey Macleod (35) makes a save against the Northeastern Huskies in the NCAA Women’s Hockey Semifinals Friday Afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena. — Ed Major II / PHC

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The No. 1 seed Ohio State Buckeyes used a four-goal first period and a shutout effort from goaltender Hailey Macleod and easily cruised past the No. 5 seed Northeastern Huskies Friday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena, 5-0, to punch its ticket to the national championship game. 

A four goal first period, including three goals in less than three and a half minutes, was too much for Northeastern to handle. Kaia Malachino, Sanni Vanhanen, and Emma Peschel all put pucks behind Huskies goaltender Lisa Jönsson. 

It could have gone a lot worse for Northeastern, though. Jönsson ended the game saving 37 out of 42 shots. Any 37-save outing for a goaltender would usually result in a win. But it was the Huskies’ lack of offense that did them in. Northeastern was 0-for-4 on the power play, despite several quality scoring chances. Still, Jönsson did her best to keep them in the game. After the fourth first-period goal came with just 0.6 seconds left on the clock, the Huskies’ netminder locked it down, not conceding another goal until Sara Swiderski added an insurance goal for the Buckeyes just 2:31 into the third period to give Ohio State a comfortable 5-0 lead.

Despite the final score, it appeared early on as if the game would be a tight, back-and-forth chance game. Northeastern controlled the scoring chances early, but Ohio State broke through midway through the first on a goal by Joy Dunne. 

In the end, it was both offense and goaltending that punched the Buckeyes’ ticket to the championship. Ohio State will face the winner of No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 3 Penn State Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Pegula Ice Arena.