The Ohio State women’s hockey team (10-10-4, 7-9-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) is looking to win this weekend with a series against two-time defending NCAA champion No. 4 Minnesota (16-7-1, 11-6-1 WCHA) at the OSU Ice Rink.

The Buckeyes will try to rebound from a sweep at the hands of No. 1 Wisconsin last weekend.

“I think that we’ve competed very hard, we’ve worked hard,” said coach Jackie Barto. “We still need to do the little things better – be more consistent taking care of the puck. And just be more consistent in our overall play. If we do that, we should turn some of those ties or potential losses that we’ve seen into W’s.”

Despite being swept last weekend, the Buckeyes proved that they are a legitimate threat to any team in the WCHA. They pushed the Badgers to overtime in the first game before losing 4-3. Although the Buckeyes lost 5-1 in the second game, they still learned a lot about themselves over the weekend.

“I feel like we can play with anyone if we do all the things that we know and work together as a team and as a unit,” said junior co-captain and defenseman Amber Bowman.

Senior co-captain and forward, Jana Harrigan, broke the all-time career points record at OSU by scoring the team’s only goal in game two.

“Breaking the record over the weekend — that’s just an incredible feat,” Barto said. “(Harrigan) has a strong passion and desire for the game and she has brought so much to the program. She’s a dynamic offensive player and she deserves every accolade and record she’s obtained.”

OSU can make up some valuable ground against Minnesota. The Buckeyes are tied for fourth place in the WCHA with 16 points, while the Golden Gophers sit with 23.

“We’re going to have to play solid in both games,” Barto said. “We’re going to have to really be skating a strong game … we need solid efforts from everybody. We need everybody to play their role and play within their ability as a team.”

The Buckeyes lag behind in the all-time series (4-25-1) but earned a split earlier this season when the teams met in Minneapolis. The win on Nov. 5, came with five seconds left in overtime. It snapped a 20-game losing streak to Minnesota.

“I think going in there, we have a lot of confidence after beating them last time – and just knowing that we can stick with anyone,” said sophomore forward Erin Keys.

The Minnesota series also has important postseason implications, especially for the Buckeyes. The top four teams in the WCHA get home ice advantage during the conference tournament. The higher the team’s record, the longer they get to keep the advantage. With OSU tied with Minnesota State in the WCHA and St. Cloud State following closely behind, the importance of this series is even more significant.

“Right now we’re tied for fourth, so we know that every league point is imperative,” Barto said.

The series with Minnesota marks the beginning of a six-game home stand for the Buckeyes. After Minnesota, OSU takes on No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth Feb. 3-4 and Bemidji State Feb. 10-11.

“This weekend we have to compete hard in our games with Minnesota, and go for it. We’re on home ice for the next six games and we want to take advantage of that,” Barto said.