What's On Tap:, The Minnesota State women's hockey team travels to Columbus, Ohio to matchup against Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponent, the Buckeyes of Ohio State this Friday and Saturday.

The Mavericks, who are now 2-5-1 (0-4-0 WCHA) and Buckeyes, sporting a 2-4-0 (0-4-0 WCHA) record as well, will match up October 23rd at 6:07 p.m. and October 24th at 1:07 p.m. in Columbus.

Last Time on the Pond: Minnesota State met up with Minnesota Duluth last weekend, posting losses by the scores of 4-2 and 4-0 in Duluth, Minn., last Friday and Saturday. Maverick junior goaltender Brianna Quade (Newcastle, Ont.) made 67 stops on the weekend, just one save short of her career high mark in a series of 68 (UND Oct. 9-10, 2015).

In Friday's matchup vs. UMD, the Bulldogs were able to net one early on the power-play at the 4:47 mark of the first period. The Bulldogs were able to capitalize again on the PP as Lara Stalder tagged a 2-0 lead for UMD just one minute and 41 seconds into the final stanza. Sophomore Amanda Conway (Naperville, Ill,) was able to cut the deficit for the Mavericks to one goal as she made slick move through a UMD defender and slid the puck through the legs of Bulldogs' goaltender Maddie Rooney. The game ended with two more UMD goals while freshman Emily Antony (Plymouth, Minn.) scored the game's final goal and her first collegiate tally.
Saturday's contest followed suit as Minnesota Duluth was able to put away four goals over the 60-minute span while Minnesota State had a couple of chances that never came to fruition. The final count was MSU 0, UMD 4 with Quade making 30 saves on the afternoon while MSU was out shot by a margin or 34-14.

Scouting the Buckeyes: Ohio State comes into the weekend owners of an overall re cord of 2-4-0 and a 0-4-4 record in WCHA play. The Buckeyes are coming off a weekend in which they hosted a top-rated Minnesota. OSU lost both matches in the weekend series and were outscored by a margin of 18-4 against the Gophers.

Ohio State is led by first-year head coach Jenny Potter. Potter, who is one of the most decorated female hockey players of all time, brings the experience of four Olympic medals, including one gold, to Columbus as the third head coach in program history. Potter recently completed her second season at the helm of the Trinity College women's hockey program. She led the Bantams to their first conference championship and second NCAA tournament berth in program history, as the squad concluded the 2014-15 campaign with an overall record of 18-7-2.

The Buckeyes are led by seniors Cara Zubko and Kendal Curtis who have each produced four points each. Goaltenders Alex LaMere and Stacy Danczak have been splitting duties in net this season as LaMere has recorded a 5.46 goals against average and .862 save percentage and a 1-2-0 record in 2015-16. Danczak follows with a 5.82 goals against average and a .844 save percentage along with a 1-2-0 record on the year. The Buckeyes are averaging two goals per game while allowing six goals per game. They are averaging 21.3 shots per game while allowing 40.5.

Last Time Around: The Mavericks are 2-7-1 in the last 10 meetings with Ohio State. Minnesota State was defeated 3-2 and 6-0 in the last two match ups in Columbus.

Minnesota State All-Time: The MSU women's hockey program - started in 1998-99 - is currently in its 18th season of competition and has compiled a 163-376-49 (.319) record in 588 total games played. The Mavericks are in their 17th year as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and boast an 83-282-39 (.254) mark in 404 league contests.

Saves Come Naturally: Junior goaltender Brianna Quade is leading the country in saves (233) and is ranked 13th in save% (.925) through the first four weeks of competition in the 2015-16 season. Quade also leads the nation in minutes played with 483:31, while coming in at 15th recording a goals against average of 2.35.

Underrated Underclassmen: MSU has now scored 15 goals through the first four weeks of action in the 2015-16 season. Of those 15 netters, 13 have been tallied by underclassmen. Five of which are first-career markers for Maverick freshman. Also, in the first eight games of the season, Minnesota State has generated 37 points (goals and assists). 28 of those points have been recorded by Maverick freshmen and sophomores.

Looking Ahead:, After this weekend's series at Ohio State, MSU will return home to play host to a 3rd-ranked Wisconsin in Mankato. The games will take place October 30-31, with puck drop scheduled for both games at 2:07 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Center.