University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Ohio State
Players Mentioned
Gophers’ Late Rally Falls Short at No. 2 Ohio State
2/13/2026 7:39:00 PM | Women's Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 2 Ohio State on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes struck three times on the power play, and despite a late push from Minnesota, the Gophers could not complete the comeback.
After a back-and-forth start, Ohio State broke through on the power play at 13:32 of the first period. The Buckeyes outshot Minnesota 17-7 in the opening 20 minutes to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Minnesota generated early pressure in the second, nearly tying the game on a breakaway chance by Ava Lindsay that was denied in tight. Bella Fanale followed with a rebound attempt, but the Gophers were once again turned away at the goal line.
Ohio State doubled its advantage at 6:06 of the second period, converting on another power play opportunity. The Gophers continued to create high-quality chances, including a feed from Kendra Distad to Sydney Morrow in the slot midway through the frame, but were unable to find the back of the net.
OSU capitalized on its third power play at 16:40 to extend the lead to 3-0. Chloe Primerano nearly answered moments later, ringing a shot off the crossbar at 17:39. The Buckeyes added a fourth goal with 37 seconds remaining in the period on a two-on-one rush to take a 4-0 lead into the second intermission.
Minnesota broke through early in the third. Off a breakout from Allie Franco, Lindsay connected with Fanale on a two-on-one rush. Fanale fired a near-side shot over the goaltender's shoulder to cut the deficit to 4-1 at 2:30.
Lindsay brought the Gophers within two at 17:20 of the third. Jamie Nelson entered the zone and put a shot on net, and Lindsay crashed the slot to collect the rebound and bury her 14th goal of the season.
With Hannah Clark pulled for the extra attacker, Minnesota pressed for more. Nelson was denied on a quality look late, and Gracie Graham hit the post with 13 seconds remaining, but the Gophers were unable to close the gap further.
With the result, Minnesota moves to 24-6-1 overall and 18-6-1 in WCHA play, while Ohio State improves to 27-4-0 overall and 21-4-0 in conference action.
Quotable
"Not the result we wanted, obviously," said head coach Brad Frost. "We got into a hole early and then were chasing the game. Our effort was there though, but we lacked some execution on our penalty kill. We had plenty of chances but were unable to finish, so we're disappointed in that. Again, the effort was there. In particular, in the second and third periods, and we're proud of our team for that."
Notable
- Hannah Clark recorded 39 saves in net.
- Bella Fanale scored her 17th goal of the season, tied for second among freshmen.
- Ava Lindsay tallied her team-high 27th assist of the season and added her 14th goal.
Up Next
The top-three matchup continues Saturday afternoon at the Ohio State Ice Rink in Columbus. Minnesota looks to earn a series split with puck drop set for 2:00 p.m. CT. Catch the action live on FOX9+.