Ohio State then-sophomore forward Sloane Matthews (22) faces off against Minnesota then-junior Ella Huber during an Oct. 27, 2023 game. The Buckeyes defeated the Golden Gophers 4-3 in overtime. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
The No. 5 Ohio State women’s ice hockey team (4-2, 2-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) will battle its first top-three opponent this weekend in back-to-back games against the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-0, 0-0 WCHA) 6 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink.
The Buckeyes are coming off two close wins on the road against St. Lawrence, winning 3-2 in overtime Friday and 5-3 Saturday.
But it won’t get easier, as Ohio State will face its biggest challenge yet: an undefeated Golden Gophers squad.
Buckeyes head coach Nadine Muzerall said she hopes the two non-conference road wins over the past weekend will give her squad some positive momentum heading in.
“They’ve been struggling to find a rhythm, so hopefully this is going to be a good jump start for this important weekend that we have,” Muzerall said.
When facing Minnesota, the team will not stray away from the Buckeye hockey foundation it has built thus far, Muzerall said.
“But what might change is some different looks that we have because their team is very fast and very skilled,” said Muzerall. “You have to make some tweaks and adjustments based on the strengths that [Minnesota has].”
The Golden Gophers opened their season with two wins against No. 10 Connecticut, winning 4-1 Sept. 27 and 3-2 in overtime Sept. 28.
Redshirt senior forward Abbey Murphy — the Golden Gophers’ leader in goals and assists with five and two, respectively, so far this season — leads the charge for Minnesota’s offense.
Defensively, Minnesota senior goaltender Skylar Vetterhas started in three of four games and has a save percentage of 0.912.
Ohio State junior defender Emma Peschel — who was named the WCHA Defender of the Month in September — said she has gained a newfound confidence coming in as an upperclassman this season, especially considering the talented players around her.
“I couldn’t have gotten the defender of the month without them,” Peschel said. “I just thank them for feeding me the puck and allowing me to give them opportunities.”
Peschel is tied for second in points among Buckeyes with six. She is also tied for first in assists with five, sharing the distinction with graduate forward Maddi Wheeler.
Peschel said her team is gaining more power after the two wins against a formidable opponent in St. Lawrence. This growing sense of momentum should play a crucial role in this weekend’s matchups against Minnesota, she said.
“I think we know that everyone is coming for us,” Peschel said. “We are Ohio State, we have a big logo, so everyone is going to give us their best, especially this weekend.”
Buckeye graduate forward and captain Jenna Buglioni has also had an electric start, leading the Buckeyes in points with seven, while also being tied for first in goals with four.
“For me, just trying to contribute in any way I can, not necessarily always on the score sheet is what I’m looking for,” Buglioni said. “But, I mean, obviously that is a bonus.”
Buglioni is coming off a three-goal weekend against St. Lawrence, with one of the goals being the overtime winner Friday. She said the Buckeyes’ main goal for this weekend is to play aggressively and keep the positive energy going.
“We’re going to be at home this weekend, so that’s a really big thing for us, and it’s alumni weekend, so they’re going to bring the juice,” Buglioni said. “So, if we can keep our bench loud, we thrive off that, and that just helps propel us onto the ice as well.”
