COLUMBUS, Ohio – A top-10 WCHA match-up takes place this weekend in Duluth, Minnesota when No. 3 Ohio State tangles with No. 6 Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16.
The Basics
No. 3 Ohio State at No. 6 Minnesota Duluth | Friday, Jan. 15 | 7:07 p.m. ET | Amsoil Arena
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No. 3 Ohio State at No. 6 Minnesota Duluth | Saturday, Jan. 16 | 4:07 p.m. ET | Amsoil Arena
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Buckeyes in a Nutshell
- Ohio State is 5-3 on the season and coming off a series split against than-No. 1 Wisconsin last weekend in Madison.
- The Buckeyes dropped the opening game last Friday, 2-1, but rebounded to win their first overtime game of the season on Saturday, 2-1.
- Defenseman Madison Bizal assisted on all three Ohio State goals last weekend and for her efforts was named the WCHA’s Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
- Bizal and freshman Jenna Buglioni are tied for the team lead with seven points through the first eight games. Buglioni has four goals and three assists while Bizal has a goal and six assists.
- After Bizal and Buglioni, both Jennifer Gardiner and Tatum Skaggs have six points on the season. Each has three goals and three assists.
- On the special units, the Buckeyes have killed off all 15 opponent power play opportunities. They also scored their first power play goal of the season in Saturday’s win over Wisconsin.
- Goalie Andrea Braendli picked up her 40th career win last Saturday. For the season, she has a 2.02 goals-against average, 154 saves and .917 save percentage.
History Against Minnesota Duluth
- Ohio State was 1-2-1 against Minnesota Duluth last year, earning a win and a tie in Columbus before dropping a pair of games at Duluth last February.
- In 2018-19 and 2017-18, the two teams split four meetings with the home team winning all four games.
- The Buckeyes’ last win at Minnesota Duluth was Jan. 29, 2016, a 6-3 triumph.
Welcome Back, Zoe
- Ohio State first-year assistant coach Zoe Hickel played at Minnesota Duluth from 2011-15 and was a two-year captain.
- She led the Bulldogs in scoring and was named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award in 2015.
- Hickel ended her career at Minnesota Duluth with 46 goals and 47 assists for 93 points in 138 collegiate games.
Statistically Speaking
- Nine different players have scored goals thus far for the Buckeyes. Six have multiple goals.
- Emma Maltais is the WHCA’s active career points leader with 146. Her teammate, Tatum Skaggs, is third with 111.
- Maltais is six assists shy of 100 for her career. No other active WCHA player has more than 58 career assists.
- Andrea Braendli leads the conference’s active goalkeepers in career wins (40), save percentage (.932) and goals-against average (1.90).
- Jenna Buglioni is seventh nationally among freshmen in points per game (0.88).
- The Buckeyes are one of just two teams nationally who have not given up a power play goal yet this season.
