Women's Hockey Series of the Week: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 1 Wisconsin

The top two teams in women’s college hockey collide at La Bahn Arena this weekend at the peak of WCHA play. A national championship rematch from the previous year is now set to play out in the regular season.

The Wisconsin Badgers welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to Madison after splitting on the road with rival No. 3 Minnesota. The scarlet and gray, on the other hand, are on a 10-game win streak.

Their last loss? Wisconsin, in Columbus, both times. The Badgers outscored the Buckeyes 8-to-2.

With the conference race coming down to the wire, find out about all the stakes and stats to know ahead of a midwestern showdown.

Head-to-head history: It’s been a while

The scarlet and gray have not swept the Badgers since the weekend of November 17–18, 2023. Wisconsin has won the last three games dating back to March 23, 2025.

The last time Ohio State did not lose to Wisconsin was during the Frozen Confines at Wrigley Field on January 4, 2025, recording the tie off of a 3-3 shootout win.

The Buckeyes have a chance to do what they have never done before: sweep the Badgers in Madison. They’ll look for the statement piece after failing in 27 tries since the beginning of the head-to-head in the 1999–00 season.

In the series finale of the most recent series on December 6, Wisconsin won by a score of 6-to-1. The Badgers scored twice off the power play, and Kelly Gorbanteko led the way in scoring with two full-strength goals of her own.

What Ohio State does well

The momentum for the Buckeyes is rolling right now as they have not lost since before the international break. The lines are a bit depleted, but it has yet to affect the team flow.

Coming off a top 10 sweep of Minnesota Duluth at home, Ohio State has simply not skipped a beat. Jocelyn Amos led the point scoring for the weekend with five, four of which came in the 6-2 opener win last Friday.

Amos has continued to impress when centering forwards Maxine Ciomoroni and Sloane Matthews, both of whom moved up from the second line.

Overall, though, the buck stops with the netminding Hailey MacLeod. The three-time winner of the WCHA Goaltender of the Week took home the honor last weekend after facing 64 shots and conceding only three goals.

What Ohio State doesn’t do well

Joy Dunne (USA) and Hilda Svensson (Sweden) are normally on the first line with Amos, but both of them are representing their respective countries in the 2026 Winter Games.

Because of this, along with a few other Buckeye skaters leaving for Milan, Ohio State only has two full lines. The line trio of Kaia Malachino, Jordan Baxter and Jordyn Petre has been thrust into the second line.

The Buckeyes’ aggressive style of play doesn’t look to help themselves that much as well, as they lead the WCHA in penalties (147) by 44 more than the next team (St. Cloud State).

Ohio State did well on the penalty kill last weekend, stopping all but one opportunity in 13 tries, but their toughest test is ahead of them against league-leading Wisconsin on the power play.

What Wisconsin does well

The Badgers will have the advantage of three full lines, meaning they won’t be as banged up along the boards or going from zone to zone this weekend.

Wisconsin does not cause that many penalties, sitting in the middle of the WCHA in game average with 3.36. Despite this, the penalty kill has been huge for them this season with a nation-leading .921 percentage.

The power play attack has also paid dividends, leading Division I in percentage for that (.330) as well. It’s crucial that Lacy Eden was able to stay and anchor the first line with a team-second five power play goals.

Kelly Gorbatenko and Cassie Hall being brought up to the first line has been an early success, contributing together in three of the eight Badger goals scored last weekend.

What Wisconsin doesn’t do well

The Wisconsin defense lost the four-time WCHA Defender of the Week winner in Caroline Harvey to the Olympics.

The momentum factor can also be taken into account, but the health of the lines and location of the series takes it out of the equation for the most part.

One of the top netminders in the WCHA is off to Milan in Ava McNaughton, leaving the Badgers with true freshman Rhyah Stewart. Stewart felt the pressure in the series opener against Minnesota, conceding three goals in 24 shots.

Adéla Šapovalivova is another skater who will be missed on the first line as one of the top scoring-setters, leaving for Milan on a five-game point streak. She also had a career-high four assists in the series opener against Bemidji State on January 24.

Series pick, how to watch

The Badgers simply don’t lose in La Bahn Arena, and they definitely won’t go down two in a row. That doesn’t change here, and with the penalty game, it seems clear enough for a split series.

Catch the series opener on Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the Big Ten Network, with the finale on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Big Ten Plus.

Bryan Portney is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.