Ohio State senior defenseman Sophie Jaques (18) moves the puck closer to the goal during the Ohio State-St. Cloud State game Saturday. Ohio State won 3-0. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes are preparing to fight the Badgers, continuing their run for the conference championship.
No. 2 Ohio State (27-6-0, 23-5-0) will battle No. 4 Wisconsin (25-6-4, 18-6-3) in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Final Faceoff Semifinals Saturday at 5 p.m. at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The winner of the game will secure a spot in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Faceoff Championship Sunday.
Ohio State senior goaltender Andrea Braendli said the Buckeyes have only one game to beat the Badgers and advance to the championship, so they have to perform.
“It’s do or die,” Braendli said. “It makes it really exciting. It’s so good to be back on that stage to show who we are as Buckeyes.”
The last time the Buckeyes and the Badgers met Feb. 18-19, Ohio State swept the series at the Ohio State Ice Rink. Earlier in the season, the Badgers swept the Buckeyes Oct. 23-34, 2021, in Madison, Wisconsin.
Head coach Nadine Muzerall, who earned her third WCHA Coach of the Year honor Wednesday, said the Buckeyes’ previous sweep against the Badgers was important for the team’s confidence, but it is irrelevant at this point in the season.
“It’s a whole new chapter and another step closer to another conference championship,” Muzerall said. “It’s going to be a really good battle on neutral territory. I think it’s going to be fun and showcase our talent and theirs.”
This is not the first time Ohio State and Wisconsin have played each other in the WCHA Final Faceoff. The Buckeyes won over the Badgers in 2020, but in 2021, the Badgers defeated the Buckeyes in overtime, winning the WCHA championship.
Muzerall said the Badgers are a dangerous team, offensively.
“You can be up two-nothing with a minute or two left, and they are still very dangerous because they can score on a whim,” Muzerall said. “We just got to know that if you get a lead, don’t be comfortable.”
Ohio State senior defender Sophie Jaques was named a top 10 finalist Thursday for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, awarded to the NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey’s top player. Wisconsin forwards Casey O’Brien and Daryl Watts were also nominated for the award.
Jaques also earned two WCHA honors — she was named Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday and Student-Athlete of the Year Wednesday.
Muzerall said all the teams are talented at this point in the season and it is anybody’s game.
“I think it’s really going to come down to the power play and penalty kill,” Muzerall said. “I think having two strong systems in that will help. Also, we play hard, but we are one of the least-penalized teams in the country, and I think that says a lot about how we play.”
Ohio State graduate forward Clair DeGeorge said the Badgers have a lot of skill and veteran players, and experience can be important in a high-stakes conference tournament.
“That might be a slight advantage to them, just being familiar with the emotions that come with being at the WCHA Faceoff,” DeGeorge said. “In return, we’ve also had a lot of players in that position, too, so whoever uses that to their strength, I believe, will come out on top.”
The game will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus.
