Wisconsin Badgers
Ohio State University
Five things to know: No. 1 Wisconsin faces No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus
October 07, 2026 | Women's Hockey
Badgers and Buckeyes meet for the first time since the National Championship
MADISON, Wis. – The No.1 Wisconsin women's hockey team will match up against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Ohio State Ice Rink on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. CT, and Saturday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m. CT.
This is the first time the two teams have played each other since the 2026 NCAA National Championship, when Wisconsin collected its ninth national title.
Fans can watch the action on B1G+ or listen live to Aidan Michaels on Fox Sports 1070.
Here are five things to know about the series:
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A TWO-WIN WEEKEND
Wisconsin played the Boston University Terriers Oct. 1-2 to collect its second series sweep of the season.
Friday's game ended in a 7-0 shutout for the Badgers, with goaltender and alternate captain Ava McNaughton recording 22 saves. McCarthy opened the scoring tab for Wisconsin before Maggie Scannell, Nela Lopušanová, Ava Murphy, Cassie Hall and Rosalie Tremblay joined the party. Sophomore Hannah Halverson found three assists in the series opener.
To close out the series on Saturday, the Badgers won, 4-1. The Terriers struck first in the opening 20 minutes on a power-play before the Badgers until Hall found back-to-back goals to make it 2-1. Lopušanová gave UW a comfortable lead before alternate captain Laney Potter rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter. Scannell found an assist on each of the first three goals.
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FRESHMAN PHENOM
After a five-point weekend, freshman Nela Lopušanová collected her first WCHA honor as Rookie of the Week.
Lopušanová led all WCHA freshmen this past weekend after tallying three goals and two assists in Wisconsin's series against Boston University.
The Žilina, Slovakia, native leads both the Badger and WCHA rookies in points overall with seven (3G, 4A).
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LAST TIME OUT
Wisconsin has collected back-to-back championship wins against the Buckeyes, and three overall.
During the 2026 National Championship game, captain Kelly Gorbatenko and alternate captain Laney Potter gave the Badgers an early lead with two goals. The Buckeyes remained off the board until the third period, where they found back-to-back goals to tie things up.
With 6.7 seconds remaining in the game, Claire Enright made it 3-2, securing the win for Wisconsin.
McNaughton made 34 saves in net, winning Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.
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AGAINST THE BUCKEYES
The Badgers and the Buckeyes have consistently been two of the most dominant teams in the NCAA over the past several years. At least one of the two teams has been a part of the national championship in the last seven years, and the past four championships have included both teams.
UW's overall record against the Buckeyes is 86-30-11, with an away record of 37-15-3.
Last December during the regular season, Wisconsin took a trip down to Columbus to play at the Ohio State Ice Rink. The Badgers swept the Buckeyes, outscoring them 8-2 throughout the weekend.
When the two teams met again in February at LaBahn, the two teams split the series.
At the WCHA Final Faceoff in March, OSU came out victorious, 2-1, securing the conference tournament title.
They met just two weeks later during the NCAA National Championship, with the Badgers coming out on top with a 3-2 win.
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OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES
The Badgers and the Buckeyes next face each other at Lambeau Field on Feb. 20 for the Travel Wisconsin Frozen Tundra Faceoff.
The series will start with a home game at LaBahn Arena on Thursday, Feb. 18, before the teams make the trek up to Green Bay.
The rivals previously faced each other outdoors at the Frozen Confines on Jan. 4, 2025, at the iconic Wrigley Field where the Buckeyes took the prize.
Tickets for the Frozen Tundra Faceoff can be found here.
