Women's College Hockey Series of the Week: No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Ohio State

This weekend, the Gophers head to Ohio where they take on the Buckeyes in the series of the week.

No. 2 Ohio State currently has a record of 5-1 while No. 4 Minnesota has a record of 5-0. The Buckeyes loss came from their first game of the season when they took on Colgate but ever since then, they have been on a winning streak.

The last time these two teams met, the Gophers took a 3-1 victory. Minnesota also has the all-time series record, 82-24.

The players to watch for the Buckeyes are Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes and Kiara Zanon. Bilka currently has 10 points which leads the team. She has four goals, one being a powerplay goal, and six assists.

Barnes leads the team in blocks as she has 10. She also has a powerplay goal and three assists. Zanon has four goals and four assists with a +/- of +6.

Abbey Murphy, Audrey Wethington and Ella Huber are the Gophers to look out for. Murphy has 11 points from seven goals and four assists. Three of her goals come from the powerplay as she also has three game-winning goals.

Wethington has nine blocks as well as a power-play goal. Huber has a +/- of +10 and has currently tallied seven points with a short-handed goal.

The two main goaltenders for Ohio State are Raygan Kirk and Amanda Thiele. Kirk has played in three games and only allowed four pucks past her with 64 saves. Thiele has played in four games where she has six goals against her with 52 saves.

Skylar Vetter and Lucy Morgan are the goaltenders for Minnesota. Both have played in three games and each only has one goal against. Vetter has 58 saves while Morgan has 34.

Nadine Muzerall is the head coach for the Buckeyes. This season is her seventh season with the team and she has led them to its first national championship during a record-breaking season in 2021-22. In 2022, Muzerall was named WCHA Coach of the Year for the third time in five years after some huge milestones with this team.

She has led the team in general to success and multiple players to their success on bigger stages like the national teams and Olympics. Muzerall hopes to continue this team's success and lead them to more championships.

The head coach for Minnesota is Brad Frost. This will be his sixteenth season with the team and he also just signed a two-year extension. He has brought this team to so much success as they advanced to six-straight NCAA Frozen Fours. The Gophers have also won four national titles with Frost.

Frost has been named to the AHCA Coach of the Year Finalist nine times, winning twice, and he is also considered one of the best and most respectable coaches in college hockey. He hopes to keep up Minnesota's reputation and have a successful season this year.

This will be a close series as the Gophers look to stay undefeated and the Buckeyes want to keep their win streak.

Kassie Vasellas is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email kmv5506@psu.edu