The undefeated Wisconsin Badgers roll into Columbus for an epic early-season matchup with Ohio State.
The toughest test of the early season is here. The nation’s clear-cut top two teams will square off with one another in a rematch of the last two national championship games.
The No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (12-0 overall, 8-0 WCHA) are riding a twelve-game heater and have only played one game that was remotely close, a game where they overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Minnesota.
No. 2 Ohio State (11-2-2 overall, 6-2-2 WCHA) got their only two losses out of the way in their first two games. The Buckeyes are on a five-game winning streak and unbeaten in their last 13 games.
It’s not an unfamiliar feeling, the big game setting when these teams square off. This meeting feels important in large part because the Badgers have been a runaway freight train. There is plenty of season left to play, but to this point they have already won eight games against teams currently ranked in the top fifteen, outscoring them 45-8 in the process.
The obvious thing to watch is this Badger offense, averaging over six goals per game, against an Ohio State team without Raygan Kirk between the pipes. The current Buckeye goaltenders, Amanda Thiele and Hailey MacLeod, are no slouches in net; but Kirk gave up a goal a game last year.
Wisconsin’s offense is the definition of “everybody eats.” Fifth-year senior Casey O’Brien leads the country in points and assists, junior Laila Edwards leads the NCAA in goals, and the top three producers in the nation are Badgers – with five players ranking in the top ten.
The question this weekend is can Ohio State be the first team to slow down the Badgers? A game in mid-November won’t decide what happens in February, but a strong showing from the Buckeyes would go a long way toward restoring some competitive balance in women’s college hockey.
On the flip side, sophomore Ava McNaughton has been the best goaltender in women’s hockey, leading the nation in a handful of statistical categories, including an astonishing 0.82 goals-against average. She’ll be tasked with slowing down an Ohio State offense that may not be quite as prolific as last year, but still ranks second behind Wisconsin in productivity.
The Buckeyes are led by some familiar faces, including a pair of 20-plus-point scorers in Jenna Buglioni and Joy Dunne. Both have scored 11 goals this year, as has forward Jocelyn Amos. While the Badgers litter the top ten in individual scorers, Ohio State is not far behind, with four of the nation’s top 12 producers. McNaughton will have her hands full for the first time this year.
One thing is certain, this weekend promises some entertaining hockey with two of the country’s perennial powerhouses clashing in Columbus. Both games will air on B1G+, with Saturday’s afternoon contest giving Badger fans the perfect pre-game viewing for the showdown with No. 1 Oregon on the football field Saturday night.
Game Info
Game 1
Date: Friday, November 15
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Columbus, OH | OSU Ice Rink
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 100.9 FM
Game 2
Date: Saturday, November 16
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Columbus, OH | OSU Ice Rink
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 1070 AM The Game