Women’s Hockey Gold Medal Game To Feature Seven Former And Current Buckeyes

Seven former and current Buckeyes will compete for gold when the United States women’s national ice hockey team faces off against Team Canada in one of the sport’s most storied rivalries Thursday at 1:10 p.m. at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.

Forward Joy Dunne is one of four current Buckeyes stepping away from Ohio State University to represent her national team, as the junior joins Team USA alongside her 2024 national championship teammates, defender Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka. Both Barnes and Bilka spent four seasons at Boston College prior to transferring to Ohio State for their graduate campaigns in 2023-24.

Bilka recorded two assists in the United States’ 5-0 semifinal shutout of Sweden on Feb. 16, including five total. Dunne has also recorded five assists for Team USA.

Skating for Canada are Ohio State alumnae Jenn Gardiner (2019-24), Sophie Jaques (2018-22), Emma Maltais (2017-23) and Natalie Spooner (2009-12), each of whom has played a significant role in elevating the Buckeyes to national prominence.

Maltais (66 goals,140 assists), Gardiner (71, 100) and Jaques (61-95) rank first, second and sixth, respectively, on Ohio State’s all-time career points leaderboard. Maltais sits 35 points ahead of Gardiner atop the all-time points rankings and also owns the Buckeyes’ career assist record, having dished out 17 more assists than former Ohio State standout Laura McIntosh (123).

Spooner, who ranks fourth all-time in career points (100, 66), still remains the only Buckeye to light the lamp 100 times in her career. Jaques holds the Ohio State record for most goals by a Buckeye defender.

The United States and Canada have faced off in six of the seven previous gold medal games since women’s hockey was introduced to the Olympics at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Canada has won gold five of those seven times (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022), while the United States has claimed the other two gold medals (1998, 2018)

Four former Ohio State women’s hockey players will also compete in the bronze medal match between Sweden and Switzerland on Thursday at 8:40 a.m.

The Swedish team features three current Buckeyes: freshman forward Hilda Svensson, defender Jenna Raunio, and sophomore defender Mira Jungåker.

Goaltender Andrea Braendli is the only Buckeye representing Switzerland’s national team. She previously competed at Ohio State from 2018-22 and also started for the Swiss national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Braendli is first all-time in career wins at Ohio State with 57 and is the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in career goals against average at 1.88.

_{Image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics}