COLUMBUS, Ohio — The No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey team returns to Western Collegiate Hockey Association play this weekend with a two-game home series against Bemidji State at the OSU Ice Rink, according to Ohio State’s athletics department. The Buckeyes and Beavers face off at 6 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday, with both games streamed on B1G+.
Ohio State, 9-1-0 overall and 5-1-0 in the WCHA, comes home after a series sweep of No. 8 Colgate last weekend, a result that improved the Buckeyes to 5-1-0 against top-10 teams this season, Ohio State said. Bemidji State arrives at 1-7-0 overall and 0-6-0 in conference play, making the Beavers a clear underdog against the nation’s top-ranked team.
Forward Jocelyn Amos leads the recent surge. Ohio State said Amos was named the WCHA Forward of the Week for the first time this season after a three-goal weekend against Colgate, scoring twice on the penalty kill and adding a power-play goal. Her second game against the Raiders marked the second time in her career that she scored both a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal in the same game.
The Buckeyes’ scoring is spread across the lineup. Mira Jungåker leads the team with 19 points and 17 assists, Joy Dunne has 16 points, and Hilda Svensson has 15 points with a team-high nine goals, including a nation-best five game-winning goals, according to Ohio State. That depth has made Ohio State difficult to defend even when opponents key on one line.
Special teams have been another strength. Ohio State said its power play is converting at a .364 rate, fourth in the country, and the Buckeyes lead the nation in power-play goals with 12 and have added two shorthanded goals. Against a Bemidji State team still looking for its first conference win, those units could decide the series early if the Beavers take penalties.
It is Halloweekend at the OSU Ice Rink, and Ohio State said the first fans at Friday’s game will receive a “The Captains” t-shirt, while Saturday’s game features pregame trick-or-treating and a Brutus trick-or-treat giveaway while supplies last. Tickets are available through OhioStateBuckeyes.com, and live stats will be posted there during both games.
For Ohio State, the weekend is about protecting home ice and its hold on the WCHA race before the schedule tightens in November. Two wins would push the Buckeyes to 11-1-0 and keep them atop the conference standings, while Bemidji State is playing for the kind of upset that can reset a season. Puck drop Friday is at 6 p.m. in Columbus.
Photo: Elliott Connor, CC BY