Coming off a bye week, and with one series remaining before No. 2 Wisconsin’s colossal showdown against top-ranked Minnesota, the Badgers are looking to continue improving and build some momentum.
To do so, they will travel to Columbus and attempt to slow down an Ohio State team on a four-game win streak.
The Buckeyes (6-11-5 WCHA, 11-12-5 overall) came into Madison in early November and gave the Badgers (17-3-2, 21-3-2) all they could handle, taking the lead in the first period of each game only to end up short both times.
Ohio State was ranked No. 10 in the nation during their first meeting with UW, but have been plagued with inconsistency throughout the season. Despite the occasional struggles, the Buckeyes are still an aggressive team that gets off a lot of shots and keeps opposing defenses on their toes.
“They’re an aggressive team.” senior forward Madison Packer said. “I think the biggest thing for us is to stay disciplined.”
In the first meeting between these two teams this season, the play was physical and got a little chippy, with a total of 21 penalties being called in the two-game series.
“The last time we played them, things ended a little heated,” Packer said. “They’re a team that’s pretty good at getting under your skin, so we need to stay out of the penalty box.”
While Ohio State has been inconsistent throughout the year, they come into this series with a little momentum.
In addition to their four-game win streak, the Buckeyes are unbeaten in their last seven games. Their offense was firing on all cylinders in their last series against St. Cloud State as well.
In its sweep of the Huskies Ohio State outscored its opponent 10-2, thanks in large part to contributions from a variety of players.
Sophomore forward Julia McKinnon and freshman forward Claudia Kepler each recorded two goals and two assists in the series, while senior forward Ally Tarr tacked on one goal and three assists, with junior defenseman Sara Schmitt adding four assists as well.
Lighting the lamp against a St. Cloud State team that has just four total wins is one thing, doing it against the second-ranked Badgers and their stellar defense is a different matter entirely.
Wisconsin heads into Columbus on a five-game winning streak, after recording a sweep of Minnesota-Duluth two weeks ago. The Badgers have shut out their opponent eight times this year and lead the nation in team defense, allowing an average of just one goal per game.
While the UW defense certainly has played well all season-long, team captain and senior goaltender Alex Rigsby has been phenomenal for the Badgers.
Rigsby has put together another impressive campaign in 2013-’14, boasting an 11-2-2 record while leading the country with a .959 save percentage and a 0.96 goals against average.
Since she is a senior, Rigsby has plenty of experience against the Buckeyes in her career, and she knows what to expect from them: aggressive play and many shots on goal.
“They’re going to be crashing the net hard, and I have to be ready for that,” Rigsby said. “I have to make sure I’m watching for all the tailing players in case they’re coming hard to the net.”
Wisconsin knows it can’t overlook the Buckeyes and get too caught up in their impending series with Minnesota, but it also understands the significance of playing well this weekend heading into its matchup against the Gophers.
“I thought we did really good against Duluth, and hopefully we can keep carrying that momentum over to this weekend,” Rigsby said. “I think it would be huge for us to come out with two solid wins under our belt going into the big weekend against Minnesota.”
