STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (Interstat) — Rowan Houweling made 11 saves and Rylee Bartz scored the go-ahead goal as Ohio State defeated Penn State 2-1 in a women’s NCAA Division I hockey game Friday at Pegula Ice Arena. The Buckeyes improved to 2-0, while the Nittany Lions fell to 0-2. Attendance was 928.

Penn State struck first at 4:14 of the opening period when Grace Outwater scored, with assists from Grace Tullock and Megan Hosman. Ohio State answered at 8:22 of the first when Hilda Svensson scored, assisted by Mira Jungåker and Hayley McDonald. The Buckeyes then took the lead for good at 38:06 elapsed in the second period when Bartz scored, with Kaia Malachino and Jenna Raunio picking up assists. Bartz finished with a game-high five shots on goal. Houweling stopped 11 of the 12 shots she faced. Outwater added two penalty minutes for Penn State. Neither team scored in the third period.

Bartz, a center, led the Buckeyes with one goal and five shots. Houweling earned the win with 11 saves on 12 shots. Outwater, a 5-foot-8 right wing from Picton, Canada, who previously attended Ottawa Carleton Virtual School, scored once, had one shot and two penalty minutes. Svensson, a 5-foot-6 left wing from Oskarshamn, Sweden, who previously attended Sandagymnasiet, scored once, recorded one shot and one hit. Malachino, a 5-foot-8 right wing from Brighton, Mich., who previously attended Brighton, had one assist and three shots. Raunio, a 5-foot-9 defenseman from Huskvarna, Sweden, who previously attended Sandagymnasiet, had one assist and three shots. Amos, a 5-foot-7 center from Ailsa Craig, Canada, who previously attended Medway, put three shots on goal. Dunne, a 5-foot-11 right wing from O’Fallon, Mo., who previously attended The Fulton School, had four shots and two penalty minutes. Amelkovich, a 5-foot-8 center from Glen Ellyn, Ill., who previously attended Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School, had two shots for Penn State. Jungåker, a 5-foot-7 defenseman from Jönköping, Sweden, had one assist and two shots.

Penalties shaped portions of the game. Penn State’s Sofia Ismael was called for roughing at 8:09 of the first, and teammate Alanna Devlin received a hitting-from-behind penalty at 16:12. Ohio State’s Joy Dunne was whistled for interference at 17:20. In the second, Ohio State’s Kassidy Carmichael was sent off for bodychecking at 31:39, Penn State’s Outwater took a slashing penalty at 35:27, and Ohio State’s Ellah Hause was called for interference at the end of the period. Penn State’s Mikah Keller received a slashing penalty at 43:37 of the third period. The teams combined for seven penalties, including four against Penn State and three against Ohio State.

Despite the loss, Penn State generated chances early and had a late power play after Keller’s penalty, but could not find an equalizer. Ohio State held on for its second win in as many games. The Buckeyes also won the previous meeting between the teams in overtime. The game was the second meeting of the season. The Nittany Lions continued to search for their first win of the season. Ohio State’s next 10 games include two at St. Thomas, two at home against Wisconsin, two at Minnesota, two at home against Colgate and two at home against Bemidji State. Penn State’s next 10 include two at home against Robert Morris, two at Syracuse, two at home against Lindenwood, two at Saint Lawrence and two at RIT.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Penn State 5, Ohio State 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ohio State with a 64.1 percent probability to win. The projections were made before the game, and Ohio State earned the win on the road despite the simulator’s projected score. The Buckeyes held on.