The University of Wisconsin women's hockey team (13-6-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 17-10-2 overall) begins its last home series of the season this weekend against conference opponent Ohio State (9-10-3 WCHA, 15-11-4 overall).
Face-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Capitol Ice Arena.
After splitting last weekend's series against the No. 1 Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Badgers are primed for a competitive series in front of their home crowd.
By virtue of the split, the Badgers brought Minnesota's 24-game winning streak to a screeching halt with a 2-0 win Feb. 17.
Interim Head Coach Dan Koch said his team was very confident going into last weekend's series against the nation's top team.
\We went up to Minnesota confident that we would do well, and we expected we would do well up there,"" Koch said.
The Badgers will bring that confidence back home as they prepare to battle Ohio State.
Continuing a season-long trend, the Badgers will attempt to stifle the number of shots on goal the Buckeyes have.
This season the Badgers have held opponents to fewer than 22 shots in 18 of their contests. The Badgers' defense has also kept their opponents to the second lowest goals against average in the nation (1.52 GAA).
Junior goaltender Jackie MacMillan gained her seventh shutout of the season with the victory over Minnesota.
Ohio State freshman right wing Jeni Creary is the key to the Buckeyes' offense. With 43 points (25 goals and 18 assists), Creary is tied for first place in the WCHA. Creary is also a candidate for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is given to the nation's top offensive player.
Koch said that in order for the Badgers to get a win, they will have to monitor Creary throughout the game.
""[Creary] is very good on the power play, and we have to make sure we know where she is at all times on the ice,"" Koch said.
On the offensive side of the game, an important aspect for UW will be overpowering Ohio State sophomore goaltender Melissa Glaser. The Badgers have outshot opponents 878-568 thus far this season.
""Another key is to get screens and tips and drive to the net and finish our shots,"" Koch said.
Leading the Badgers offensive charge will be sophomore center Meghan Hunter. Hunter is third in the WCHA with 36 points, including 17 goals. Supported by four of the nation's top 10 defensive scorers'including juniors Kerry Weiland and Carla MacLeod with 18 points each'UW is a formidable bunch.
Despite the Badgers' advantages, the team is well aware of how good Ohio State is.
""We have to come out and prove ourselves. If you look in the rankings Ohio State is a team that is ranked higher than us, and they've beat some good opponents,"" Koch said.
This weekend promises to be a good series against a nationally ranked opponent. In front of their last home crowd of the season, the Badgers will need to gain momentum going into the closing weeks of the season.
