Ohio State Likely To Take Over #1 After Sweeping Wisconsin

The WCHA coaches predicted the result after choosing Ohio State as the top team in the conference in a preseason poll. It took the national women's hockey ranking bodies a little longer to see it, but Ohio State as the top team in the WCHA, and nation, should come to fruition this week.

That following Ohio State's sweep of #1 ranked Wisconsin this weekend. Not only did Ohio State beat Wisconsin 2-1 and 5-3, but they carried the play and vastly outshot Wisconsin.

Both teams were without key players who were at Canada's national team selection camp in Quebec City. Wisconsin was playing without Rosalie Tremblay, Ava Murphy, and Emma Venusio, while Ohio State played without Jocelyn Amos and Hayley McDonald. 

In the opening game of the series, the now 6-0-0 Ohio State beat 4-2-0 Wisconsin 2-1. The Buckeyes outshot the Badgers 40-21, including 19-3 in the third period. In the second period, Wisconsin opened the scoring with Cassie Hall fired from the top of the right circle beating rookie Rowan Houweling to take the 1-0 lead. In the third however, Mira Jungaker scored on an Ohio State power play blasting a one-time slapshot from the right point that evaded Ava McNaughton. Then, with less than four minutes remaining, Hilda Svensson shot from the right face-off dot on the power play again to give OSU the 2-1 lead, which they would hold for the win.

During game two, Wisconsin's Cassie Hall again opened the scoring for the Badgers. The lead didn't last long however, as Ohio State scored a pair in less than a minute with Sanni Vanhanen and Kaia Malachino tying the game and putting the Buckeyes ahead 2-1. Later in the frame Kate Viel extended Ohio State's lead to 3-1, but only seconds later Wisconsin answered themselves with Maddy Kimbrel making it 3-2.

In the second, Laney Potter tied the game at 3-3, but much like game one of the series, the Buckeyes dominated the third period outshooting Wisconsin 17-6. In the third, two of those shots off the stick of Svensson, who got her second game winner of the weekend, and Sanni Vanhanen who added the insurance to give Ohio State the 5-3 win.