Just call them the Production Line.
Hailey Clarkson scored twice with an assist, Kristy Oonincx added a goal and an assist, and Denelle Maguet had two assists of her own, powering St. Cloud State to victory over Ohio State, 5-3, and completing a weekend sweep of the Buckeyes for the first time since December 2000. The Huskies’ top line, assembled just last week, has combined for 21 points over the last four games.
Clarkson’s two goals proved pivotal for St. Cloud (7-10-1, 5-8-1 WCHA). Her first goal, thirteen minutes into the second period, gave the Huskies a commanding 3-0 lead, and her second, 7:31 into the third, was the eventual game-winner.
St. Cloud set the tone early, peppering Ohio State goalie Liana Bonanno with shots from the opening puck drop. Three minutes into the game, Bonanno had already been forced to stop nine shots, most of which resulted from excellent scoring chances by the SCSU forwards.
The barrage continued as the Huskies went on their first power play opportunity of the game 5:43 into the first. Oonincx, a senior wing, used sheer power to score the first goal of the game just under a minute into the advantage, blasting home a rebound off a shot by Hailey Clarkson.
The Huskies made the most of their second power play opportunity as well. Early in the second, senior Kelly Stewart ripped a laser shot from the center of the blue line that glanced off of Bonanno’s shoulder, ringed off the crossbar, and dropped straight into the net, giving St. Cloud State a 2-0 lead. The goal was Stewart’s third of the season.
St. Cloud extended its lead to 3-0 with seven minutes left in the second. After hitting the crossbar only seconds earlier during an extended attacking shift in the OSU zone, Clarkson outhustled a tired Ohio State defense to a loose puck and found the mark, beating Bonanno to her right.
Just 1:41 later, Ohio State (8-8-2, 5-7-2) got on the board, taking advantage of two quick SCSU penalties and an ensuing five-on-three advantage. OSU sophomore Lisa Chesson took a shot off a centering pass that was saved by St. Cloud State goalie Kendall Newell, who was unable to find the rebound, and was looking the wrong way when it was picked up by Erin Key. She shot the puck into a wide open net for her sixth tally this season while Newell was down on one knee.
Six and a half minutes into the third, OSU cut the deficit to 3-2 with another power play goal. A shot from the blue line by junior Amber Bowman caromed in off of the post to the right of Newell. Ohio State senior Jana Harrigan had an assist on the goal, stretching her point-scoring streak to 11 games.
St. Cloud restored its insurance a minute later. A shot by Oonincx was deflected by Bonanno, but Clarkson came up big for the Huskies once again, flying at top speed into the slot and firing a hard slap shot that found the back of the net for the 4-2 Husky lead.
Ohio State battled back again late in the third. Sophomore center Shelby Aldous gained the zone by herself and wristed a perfectly placed shot from the left faceoff circle that very neatly found the top right-hand corner of the goal, beating Newell top shelf. The lone assist on the goal was credited to Lisa Chesson, who assisted on all three OSU goals on the afternoon.
But the one-goal gap was as close as the Buckeyes would get, as Ashley Stewart would respond for St. Cloud minutes later, sealing the sweep for the Huskies.
“It seemed like every time we were able to battle back, we would make a mistake and break down,” said Ohio State head coach Jackie Barto. “In a game like this, we need to sustain our momentum after scoring and you can’t do that when you come right out and give one up right away.”
The Huskies are riding a four-game winning streak for the first time since January 2001, when they sandwiched a weekend sweep of Wisconsin between two wins over Bemidji State. Ohio State, meanwhile, has dropped three straight. The victory moves St. Cloud to within one point of the Buckeyes in the WCHA standings.
Both teams have concluded their 2005 schedule. Ohio State returns to action on January 6, traveling to Mankato for a two-game WCHA series. St. Cloud State also returns to action January 6, for a series at No. 2 St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y.
“We’re playing good hockey right now,” said St. Cloud State head coach Jason Lesteberg. “The break will be good for our mental and physical health, we’ll get finals out of the way, have some family time, and hope to pick back up for the second half where we’re leaving the first.”
