Mankato, Minn.--- The Minnesota State women’s hockey team travels to Columbus, Ohio for a collision with the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend looking to lock up sixth-place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings.

Buckeyes (16-14-2)	vs.	Mavericks (10-18-4)
31-of-143 (21.7%)	Power-Play	18-of-96 (18.8%)
101-of-122 (82.8%)	Penalty-Kill	111-of-135 (82.2%)
2.9	Goals/Game	2.0
30.6	Shots/Game	24.0
9.2	Penalty Min./Game	10.5
Ally Tarr (9-18--27) Hokey Langan (9-16--25) Kari Schmitt (5-20--25) Taylor Kuehl (12-11--23)	Scoring Leaders	Lauren Smith (22-12--34) Tracy McCann (13-9--22) Emilia Andersson (3-16--19) Kathleen Rogan (6-11--17)
Chelsea Knapp (2.56 GAA)	Goaltender	Danielle Butters (2.97 GAA)

Last Time on the Ice:  Minnesota State could only muster one point last weekend against visiting St. Cloud State as the two programs skated to a 2-2 draw with the Huskies claiming an additional point with a shootout victory Friday evening before SCSU claimed the series finale with a 2-0 victory. Senior Lauren Smith and junior Tracy McCann each had a goal and an assist for the Mavericks on the weekend.

A Little Bit More On Ohio State:  OSU owns a 16-14-2 overall record including an 11-13-2 record in WCHA action and a 9-6-1 mark at home this season.  The Buckeyes stand fifth in the league after being swept at North Dakota last weekend by scores of 5-2 and 3-2 but are a mere three points out of fourth-place and coveted home ice.  Ohio State boasts the nation’s 12th-highest scoring offense at 2.91 goals/game, while its power-play ranks ninth at 21.7%

Last Time Around: The Mavericks and Buckeyes battled to a scoreless tie in the series opener before OSU earned a 4-3 win in a seesaw affair Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at All Seasons Arena. Junior Danielle Butters stopped a career-high 45 shots in the 0-0 tie to record her fourth shutout of the year. Seven of the last ten contests between the two teams have been decided by a goal or less.

Minnesota State All-Time:   The MSU women’s hockey program, started in 1998-99, is currently in its 15th season of competition and has compiled a 145-333-45 (.320) record in 523 total games played. The Mavericks are in their 14th year as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and boast an 82-253-37 (.270) mark in 372 league contests.

Strong Special Teams: As a team, Minnesota State is fifth in the country in combined special teams at 55.8%.  The Mavericks boast the 12th-rated power-play (18.6%) and 22nd-best penalty-kill (82.4%).  MSU limited St. Cloud State to one-of-five on the power-play last week and failed to score on its lone power-play opportunity.

Standing Out: With two regular-season league games left, Minnesota State is a near lock to finish sixth in the conference, which would be its best finish since MSU ended fifth in 2008-09. The Mavericks can clinch sixth position with a win or a St. Cloud State loss and would travel to North Dakota or Wisconsin for the opening round of the WCHA playoffs.

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