For only the second time this season, the No. 2 Gophers women's hockey team was swept on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 2-0, No. 4 Ohio State scored three goals in the second period to edge the Gophers 3-2 at Ridder Arena. And two of those goals were by Minnesotans.
Liz Schepers (Mound) started the Buckeyes' comeback 48 seconds into the middle period. Jennifer Gardiner tied the score at 11:23 and, 53 seconds later, Paetyn Levin (Rogers) put Ohio State (11-5 overall/WCHA) ahead to stay. Levin also had the winner in her team's 2-1 win in the series opener.
"We played a couple good periods here tonight and one really bad one," Gophers coach Brad Frost said. "… Great start coming out of the gates there, getting up 2-0, terrible second period to give up three, and then we played well in the third again. We had some glorious chances there in the third, and whether it was hitting the post or whiffing on an open net or just not finding a way to will the puck in the net, it was a disappointing result."
BOXSCORE: Ohio State 3, Gophers 2
The Gophers took a 2-0 lead in the first 3½ minutes on goals by Abigail Boreen and Grace Zumwinkle.
Ohio State goalie Andrea Braendli was perfect after that, finishing with 23 saves; Lauren Bench stopped 20 shots for the Gophers.
Minnesota (9-7-1, 30 points) went into this series in first place in the WCHA but is now third behind Wisconsin (11-2-1, 34) — the Badgers beat Bemidji State 7-0 Saturday and held the Beaver to six shots on net — and the Buckeyes (11-5, 32).
The Gophers are in a 1-6-1 skid after an 8-1 start.
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