After having the week off due to the Four Nations Cup in Finland, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (3-3-2 WCHA, 7-3-2 overall) returns to the ice this weekend and will be put to the test in a tough road environment, as they travel to Columbus to take on WHCA foe No. 8/9 Ohio State (7-3-0, 9-3-0).
Traditionally, the matchup between the Badgers and Buckeyes has been a one-sided affair with Wisconsin holding the overall series record 46-8-6. However, 2012 is a different story. Ohio State’s 9-3 record is their best start through 12 games in program history and they are currently in sole possession of second place in the conference with 21 points, eight points ahead of Wisconsin. Not to mention, the Buckeyes are riding a four-game winning streak, courtesy of sweeps over Bemidji State and St. Cloud State.
“They’re playing pretty well right now for them, “senior forward Brianna Decker said. “They have a couple of big defensemen that are big bodies out there. I think a lot of their strengths, too, come from their offense. Overall, I think they have a great group of girls and I think that’s what is helping them–they’re working as a team.”
While they come in red-hot, the Badgers are not far behind, as they are owners of an identical winning streak. After getting off to a slow start due to key losses of junior forward Brittany Ammerman and senior defenseman Stefanie McKeough with undisclosed injuries and new faces on the lines, the team is starting to play their best hockey of the year, especially the last three weekends.
Dating back to Oct. 26 against New Hampshire, the Badgers have outscored their opponents 14-1, including a lopsided 145-87 shots on goal advantage.
“It took us a while, we’re a young team. We had to get used to each other,” Decker said. “I think our team chemistry is coming around on and off the ice. I think the [upperclassmen] are stepping up and I think that’s what we need right now.”
The Badger defense has been impressive in their zone lately, especially the play of back-to-back WHCA defensive player of the week, junior goaltender Alex Rigsby.
During the winning streak, she has not allowed a goal in net for the past 190 minutes. She has also increased her save percentage to .941 and her goal allowed average to 1.25, good for seventh and fifth in the nation, respectively.
However, Rigsby will have her hands full in net, as the Buckeyes are loaded with firepower on offense. Senior forward Hokey Langan has a team-best 12 assists this season and sits fifth all-time in program history in that category. Senior forward Paige Semenza is off to the best start in her career as she leads the team in points with 17 with 10 goals and 7 assists.
“They’re getting a lot of opportunities this year. I just have to be ready for it and whatever comes my way,” Rigsby said. “They’re having a really good season so I’m just preparing myself that way for it.”
Even though conference play has just gotten underway and there is plenty of hockey left to be played, Decker still sees this weekend’s series as another opportunity to get points in the conference standings.
“We go into every series trying to get a couple wins out,” Decker said. “Any way that we could get a win out and get three points off a win that’s what we’re going to go for. Every series is important from here on out.”
