COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Wayne State University women's hockey team (7-10-0) lost its series opener at Ohio State University (9-8-2), 3-2, on Thursday night in the penultimate game of the 2010 calendar year.

Natalie Spooner scored two goals, including the game-winner with five minutes remaining, as part of a three-point performance for the Buckeyes, who are 5-0-0 against College Hockey America squads this season.

Thursday was another busy night for junior goaltender Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds), who totaled 39 saves, one shy of her season-high and her sixth straight output of 30 or more saves.

After a scoreless first period, each team lit the lamp twice in the second. Paige Semenza snapped the 0-0 tie at 2:42 before WSU took a 2-1 lead moments later.

Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont./North American Hockey Academy) and Alyssa Baldin (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) scored 25 seconds apart, tying the second-shortest two-goal span in program history. Ingratta tied it up at 5:15 with assists from Ciara Lee (Toronto, Ont./Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins) and Micheline Frappier (Val Caron, Ont./Sudbury Lady Wolves).

As Madison Marcotte was penalized for tripping at the time Ingratta scored, Baldin cashed in on the opportunity with her career-best 10th goal of the season and 11th career power-play goal at 5:40 from Gina Buquet (Lafayette, La./Ohio Flames) and Jill Szandzik (Warren, Mich./Little Caesars).

Spooner knotted the score at 2-2 with 2:50 remaining in the period and put the Buckeyes ahead for good at 15:00 in the third.

Forced to kill a penalty in the final 1:40 of regulation, the Warriors were unable to pull Brian for an extra attacker en route to their third straight defeat.

Brian accumulated 21 of her 39 saves in the first period, matching her season-high for a single period and coming up three short of the school record. She also helped the WSU penalty-killing unit thwart all five Buckeye power-play chances.

Wayne State and Ohio State will close out the series tomorrow at 2:07 p.m. ET.

NOTES
Ingratta and Baldin's 25-second scoring span was WSU's fastest since Feb. 29, 2008 versus Niagara … Baldin's 28th career goal moved her into sole possession of fifth all-time at Wayne State, passing Emily McGrath-Agg (2002-05) … Brian has 569 saves this season and passed Tiffany Thompson (532; 2001-02) for the sixth-highest single-season total in program history.