Tommies reach OT, but end with another loss to Ohio State

After losing their previous 13 meetings with Ohio State over the past three-plus seasons, including a 5-1 loss on Friday, a St. Thomas victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes on Saturday at St. Thomas Ice Arena had to be considered unlikely are considered. .

And after being outscored by a margin of almost five to one over the course of the match, the needle moved from improbable to impossible. Yet, after a 0-0 draw at the end of regular time, the Tommies were just one goal away from causing the biggest upset of their short Division I existence.

But a goal 21 seconds into overtime allowed the Buckeyes to leave town with a 1-0 victory.

“It’s a tough way to end it,” St. Thomas coach Joel Johnson said, “but overall, I can’t ask for much more from the defensive effort we put in today.”

The game featured a great performance from Tommies freshman goaltender Dani Strom, who stopped the first 39 shots she faced. The Tommies managed just nine shots on target.

The game winner, scored by Ohio State defender Emma Peschel, came as the teams played four-on-three. A penalty from Tommies late in the third period was carried over into extra time.

“I think it’s really good for our team to know that we can play with the No. 2 team in the country,” Strom said. “We were there, so we feel confident that we can play with any team.”

Strom made her fifth straight start in goal. Johnson does not comment on injuries, but PhD student Calla Frank has not played since October 18.

“She continues to show she is ready for big spots,” Johnson said of Strom. “She proved that again today.”

Strom, who said she was in that “zone” that athletes strive for, credited her teammates with helping her fend off the Buckeyes’ vaunted offensive attack.

“It helps to have such a great team around me,” she says. “It gives me more confidence to do my best.”

The Buckeyes had the Tommies on their heels from the opening faceoff, and remained so for most of the first period. Despite leading 15-4, the Tommies kept the match scoreless after 20 minutes thanks to Strom’s excellent work.

“I think that’s what happens when you get a team like them, with the pedigree they have, the roster they have,” Johnson said. “They wanted to try to come and bully us. I thought our players did a good job of standing up for themselves and defending themselves.”

Despite the low shots on goal total, the Tommies had their chances to win the match under regular rules thanks to three power plays. But they managed to put little pressure on the Buckeyes with the player advantage.

“The power play is a situation where I have to be a better coach,” Johnson said. “I told our team that. It’s up to me to come up with better plans for the power play.”

The Tommies’ final power play came at 17:19 of the third period, which could have made for a dramatic ending. But the Buckeyes had the best chance on the Tommies’ power play, with Strom stopping Joy Dunne, who scored 11 goals, on a breakaway.

While he is proud of his team, Johnson is ready to take the next step.

“There are no moral victories,” he said. “We are in year 4 and we expect to compete in our competition every weekend. It’s a tough, tough league to play in when you’re playing No. 4, then No. 7, then No. 2 in the country on consecutive weekends.

“But that’s what we signed up for.”