It was business as usual for the No. 1 Wisconsin women’s hockey team (5-1-0 WCHA, 11-1-0 overall) as it completed another sweep this weekend.
Traveling to Columbus, Ohio for a matchup with Ohio State, the Badgers were looking to continue their dominance of the WCHA. By defeating the Buckeyes (5-4-1, 5-4-1) 3-1 Friday night and 2-0 Saturday, they did just that.
Despite claiming the sweep of Ohio State, the Buckeyes gave Wisconsin a run for its money.
Wisconsin opened the scoring Friday night just over seven minutes into the game. On the play freshman forward Blayre Turbull picked up the loose puck and brought it into the OSU zone. Showing off her puck handling skills, Turnbull was able to fake and beat the Buckeye goaltender to score her second goal of the season.
The goal not only gave the Badgers the early lead, but it also came shorthanded, Wisconsin’s third such goal of the season.
The Buckeyes did not let the shorthanded goal deflate their hopes of pulling off the upset. OSU used the first intermission to its advantage and came out strong in the second period. Ohio State tied the game at one by employing a strong forecheck. Freshman forward Kayla Sullivan was credited with the goal.
The score remained 1-1 until midway through the third period. Junior forward Brianna Decker sent a pass through the center and found senior forward Hilary Knight camped in front of the OSU net, and Knight deflected the pass into the net for Wisconsin's second goal of the game.
Three minutes later, the Badgers made it 3-1 to seal their victory with a goal by freshman forward Karley Sylvester.
The Badgers won Saturday night by the same margin, this time holding Ohio State scoreless, picking up the 2-0 shutout.
Senior forward Brooke Ammerman scored both goals for Wisconsin, giving her nine goals on the season, the third highest total on the team.
Ohio State again came out strong with its forecheck, but Wisconsin sophomore goaltender Alex Rigsby was on the top of her game. Rigsby finished the game with 30 saves. Adding to the 25 she made the night before, Rigsby finished the weekend with a .964 save percentage.
Rigsby also picked up her first collegiate point on an assist on Ammerman’s first goal.
Wisconsin has weathered arguably their toughest stretch of their season, picking up sweeps of North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Boston University and an underrated Ohio State team, and split against a very good Minnesota team.
The Badgers are on a much deserved bye week and will return to the ice Nov. 18 when the team travels to Troy, N.Y. to face Rensselaer Polytechic.
UWBadgers,com contributed to this report.
