BY AJ HARRISON
UW Athletic Communications

MADISON, Wis. — After earning a split against No. 2 Minnesota, the top-ranked Badgers look to carry their momentum from Sunday's 8-2 victory into their series this weekend at Ohio State. 

After falling 2-0 to the Golden Gophers Saturday, the Badgers scored four goals in the first period in the series finale en route to the 8-2 triumph.

"I think the biggest takeaway from last weekend was that we are capable of anything and that we can bounce back from a loss," junior Baylee Wellhausen said. "This team is a special team and we're resilient. I think we realized it's important to finish our chances, to stay positive even when we're down and play hard every second of the game because every team we face will give us their best shot."

UW's victory over the Golden Gophers marked UW's biggest margin of victory against Minnesota in program history, while senior Sarah Nurse became the first player in school history to record a hat trick against UM.

"It was good growth from Saturday," UW head coach Mark Johnson said. "We didn't play poorly on Saturday, but if you're going to beat quality opponents that we run up against, at the end of the year you have to be able to push yourself through that and figure out how to win. Having a real strong first period indicated that they are listening to what we're saying and can go out and execute."

Thanks to the win, the Badgers retained their top ranking in the nation heading into their final series of the 2016 calendar year against OSU.

The two teams met earlier this season in Madison, as the Badgers took five of six points in the standings against the Buckeyes. UW blanked OSU, 3-0, in the series opener thanks to a pair of goals by Emily Clark. In the series finale, Sam Cogan scored late in the third to force a 1-1 tie and Abby Roque scored in the shootout to give the Badgers an extra point in the league standings.

"They gave us a good series at the beginning of the year and we want to make sure we come out fast and finish strong," senior Mellissa Channell said. "They are a tough team with a strong goaltender, so being able to find ways to get pucks past her is something we have to focus on."

"I'm expecting another tough series," Wellhausen said. "Ohio State is always a fun team to play against. Every team we play gives us their best performance and we will have to match that."

This weekend's series at Ohio State presents a unique challenge as the Badgers and Buckeyes meet at the OSU Ice Rink, which sports the smallest ice sheet in the league.

"Playing in a small rink changes the game," Channell said. "Things happen faster and the puck bounces around like a ping-pong ball. Being able to get there on Thursday and getting used to the dimensions will go a long way this weekend."