Last weekend the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women’s hockey team had quite the showing. They scored a total of nine goals in back-to-back shutout victories over Bemidji State University, winning 2-0 Friday, January 12 then 7-0 Saturday, Jan. 13. That effort provides great momentum as this Friday No. 7 UMD travels to visit the number one team in the country, Ohio State.

“I think our D are really important to our offensive output, so we’re going to need to get them up ice and make sure we continue to use them to activate. It’s a 200 foot game and it’ll take everything, but I’m really excited to see what our team can do this weekend,” UMD head coach Maura Crowell said.

“I’m going to quote Herb Brooks, kind of take their game and shove it back in their face. I’m sure they don’t like to play in their D-zone. I’m sure they spend a lot of time in other teams’ O-zone. So just putting the puck deep, grinding, getting the puck back, I think getting a lot of shots off, crashing the net. That’s the key to our success this weekend,” UMD senior forward Olivia Wallin said.

The Bulldogs and Buckeyes have already met twice this season, with UMD suffering the series sweep at home falling 5-2 then 2-0 back in October.

Ohio State just swept the Gophers to sit 18-2. UMD enters 13-7-2 unbeaten in their last three games.

Puck drop in Columbus, Ohio is Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.