In what could be a preview of this season’s national championship series, the #2-ranked Ohio State women’s hockey team (26-4-0, 20-4-0 WCHA) traveled to #1 Wisconsin this weekend to take on the Badgers (25-3-2, 19-3-2 WCHA) in games on Saturday and Sunday at LaBahn Arena in Madison.

While it may be preview of the teams to be involved, the lineups were than they will be during the Frozen Four. Both teams are missing key players who are taking part in the Winter Olympic Games in Italy.

The Badgers are without five players – forwards Laila Edwards (USA) and Kirsten Simms (USA), defenseman Caroline Harvey (USA), and goaltender Ava McNaughton (USA), as well as forward Adéla Šapovalivová (Czechia).

Ohio State is also missing five players – forwards Joy Dunne (USA), Hilda Svensson (Sweden), and Sanni Vanhanen (Finland), along with defensemen Mira Jungåker (Sweden) and Jenna Raunio (Sweden).

On Saturday, the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin for the first time in three tries, after falling twice at home in early December, scoring the first four goals en route to a 4-1 victory. Getting on the board were Jordyn Petrie, Sloane Matthews, Maxine Cimoroni, and Kassidy Carmichael.

The Badgers responded in Sunday’s matchup with a 4-1 win of their own. Ohio State’s lone goal came from Kaia Malachino halfway through the second period. Hailey MacLeod was in net for both contests, stopping a total of 56 shots in 61 tries. She is now 16-3 on the season with four shutouts.

There is no rest for the weary as far as the Buckeyes are concerned. They host #3-ranked Minnesota in two games at the OSU Ice Rink next weekend. On Friday, the game with the Gophers begins at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, the puck drops at 3:00 p.m. Both games can be seen on Big Ten+.