The No. 3-ranked Minnesota women’s hockey team welcomes top-ranked Ohio State to Ridder Arena for a highly anticipated two-game series this weekend. The series opens Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:00 p.m. CT before concluding Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2:00 p.m. CT. Both games will stream live on B1G+.
#3 Minnesota (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) vs. #1 Ohio State (6-0-0, 4-0-0 WCHA)
Date: Oct. 16
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: Ridder Arena
#3 Minnesota (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) vs.#1 Ohio State (6-0-0, 4-0-0 WCHA)
Date: Oct. 17
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: Ridder Arena
Last Time Out
Minnesota continued its unbeaten start to the season with a pair of victories at Ridder Arena. The Gophers opened the weekend with a 4-0 shutout of Maine on Friday, Oct. 9, before earning a 4-2 win over Bemidji State on Sunday, Oct. 11. Four different Gophers found the back of the net against Maine, while Minnesota held off the Beavers to close out the weekend undefeated.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State arrives in Minneapolis unbeaten at 6-0-0 overall and 4-0-0 in WCHA play after earning a two-game sweep of then-No. 1 Wisconsin last weekend. The Buckeyes’ victories over the Badgers propelled them to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings, setting up a matchup between two of the nation’s top three teams. Sophomore forward Hilda Svensson leads Ohio State with six goals and is tied with defender Mira Jungåker for the team lead in points with 11. Jungåker earned WCHA Defender of the Week honors following the series against Wisconsin, while forward Sanni Vanhanen claimed WCHA Forward of the Week recognition after recording two goals and three points against the Badgers. Senior forward Joy Dunne returns as one of the Buckeyes’ top offensive threats, totaling four goals and six assists through six games this season. Ohio State has also received strong contributions from freshman goaltender Rowan Houweling, who earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. Houweling has started four games and owns a 1.76 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Nadine Muzerall returns for her 11th season behind the Ohio State bench where she has compiled a 266-86-22 record.
Inside the Series
Minnesota holds an 85-34-7 all-time record against Ohio State but has gone 3-6-1 in the last 10 meetings. The teams last met in the semifinals of the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff, where the Buckeyes earned a 4-0 victory before defeating Wisconsin in the championship game. Minnesota will look to reverse its recent fortunes against Ohio State and hand the top-ranked Buckeyes their first losses of the season.
First Gopher Goal
Junior forward Julia Schalin scored her first career goal in the Maroon and Gold during Minnesota’s 4-0 victory over Maine on Friday, Oct. 9. She skated to a three-point weekend and tallied her first multi-point game for the Gophers on Friday as well.
The Big 5-0
Graduate forward Sarah Paul recorded her first goal of the season and the 50th of her collegiate career in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Bemidji State.
Brick Wall
Goaltender Hannah Clark recorded her sixth career shutout and first of the season in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Maine. Clark stopped all 25 shots she faced to help Minnesota secure the win. Through the opening four games, she ranks sixth nationally with a 1.00 goals-against average and 12th with a .947 save percentage.
Pip Producing
Freshman forward Adrianna Milani recorded her second multi-goal game of the season in Sunday’s victory over Bemidji State. Milani scored the game-tying goal in the first period before adding an empty-net goal to seal the win. She has four goals through her first four collegiate games, tied for fourth nationally with an average of 1.00 goals per game.
Sealing the Deal
Forward Molly Jordan ranks second nationally with two game-winning goals through the opening four games of the season. Jordan has been a consistent offensive presence for Minnesota, leading the team with five points on two goals and three assists.
A Positive Weekend
Sloane Hartmetz posted a plus-six rating across Minnesota’s two games last weekend, recording a plus-three rating in both contests. Carly Humphrey and Emma Kreisz also share the team lead with plus-six ratings through the opening four games.
Leading the Way
Jordan leads the Gophers with five points, tallying two goals and three assists. Milani paces Minnesota with four goals, while Jordan, Paul, Schalin, Ava Lindsay and Kreisz are tied for the team lead in assists with three apiece. Humphrey and Kreisz have each posted a plus-six rating to lead the team in plus-minus.
Lighting the Lamp
Minnesota ranks third nationally in scoring offense, averaging 4.50 goals per game through its first four contests. The Gophers have scored 18 goals while maintaining an undefeated record to open the season.
Power Play Prowess
The Gophers rank third nationally in power-play percentage, converting on 33.3 percent of their opportunities. Minnesota will look to continue generating special-teams production against an Ohio State team that has yet to lose this season.
Controlling the Dot
Minnesota ranks second nationally in faceoff winning percentage at .627, helping the Gophers control play throughout the opening four games.
National Recognition
Minnesota holds the No. 3 ranking in both the USCHO and USA Hockey national polls for the fourth consecutive week. The Gophers will put their unbeaten record and national ranking to the test against the top-ranked Buckeyes in a pivotal early-season WCHA series.
Behind the Bench
Greg “Boom” May was named Minnesota’s head coach on March 22, 2026, becoming the third head coach in program history. May previously served as the Gophers’ associate head coach from 2023-26, helping Minnesota to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and a 2025 NCAA Frozen Four berth. May also served as head coach at Augsburg from 2021-23, leading the Auggies to two NCAA tournament appearances and the 2022 Frozen Four. He was named MIAC Coach of the Year in 2022. May was an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s U18 National Team that won gold at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. May is joined on staff by General Manager Jessica Scott, assistant coach Marty Sertich, and assistant coaches and former alumni Winny Brodt Brown and Amanda Leveille.
Quest for Eight
Minnesota begins its pursuit of an eighth national championship after winning seven NCAA titles in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
