The fifth-ranked UW women's hockey team (14-5-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 20-5-3 overall) faces a tough series this weekend on the road as they travel to Ohio State to battle the Buckeyes (10-10-2, 14-11-3).
After rolling over non-conference foe Niagara last weekend, sweeping the two-game series and scoring 12 goals in the two games to Niagara's one, the Badgers tallied their fourth consecutive 20-win season and pulled them within three points of WCHA leader Minnesota. UW finished their non-conference schedule unbeaten with a record of 6-0-2 against non-WCHA opponents.
OSU comes into the series trailing Wisconsin by seven points in the race for the conference crown and looks to play the role of spoiler for the postseason-bound Badgers. Ohio State has gone 3-5-1 in its last nine games while the streaking Badgers have lost only once in their last nine contests dating back to Jan. 18 when they beat defending champion Minnesota-Duluth 5-2 in Madison.
Wisconsin's biggest challenge this weekend will be trying to get the puck past the formidable netminder junior Melissa Glaser. U.S. College Hockey Online's reigning Defensive Player of the Week gave up only one goal while collecting 36 saves in a 1-1 tie against the then-No.1 Minnesota Golden Gophers.
UW will counter with a well-balanced offensive attack due in part to the recent emergence of freshman forward Lindsay Macy. Macy, one of Wisconsin's rising stars on offense, was named Rookie of the Week by United States College Hockey Organization after she accounted for six points total in the two games against Niagara, including a hat trick in the first game of the series.
The Badgers hope they can keep a level head as they travel to Columbus to face OSU after beating Niagara so soundly at home. Six players contributed heavily in the series-clinching 8-1 trouncing of the Purple Eagles, each scoring at least two points in the game.
While an offensive onslaught will be paramount if the Badgers want to defeat the Buckeyes and keep pace with Minnesota, their strong offense of late is nicely complemented, if not trumped by, the sensational goaltending of sophomore Meghan Horras. The WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 16-22 stopped 56 shots in two games against powerhouse Minnesota. Thirty-six of those saves came in a courageous overtime loss in which the UW was outlasted, but by no means outplayed, 2-1. Horras maintains a 1.23 goals-against average, best among Division I goalies.
With their sights set intently on this year's Frozen Four in Providence, the Badgers must win this crucial upcoming series with Ohio State, as well take two games from Bemidji State when they wrap up the regular season at the Kohl Center two weeks from now.
