MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State Mavericks (6-5-1, 2-5-1 WCHA) hit the road this weekend, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for a two-game series against the No. 3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1-0, 7-1-0 WCHA). Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink.

Scouting the Buckeyes:

Ohio State enters the weekend with a 9-1-0 overall record after sweeping St. Thomas last weekend. The Buckeyes earned a 3-2 overtime win on Friday and followed with an 8-0 shutout on Saturday. OSU currently sits second in the WCHA standings and third in the USA Hockey national rankings.

Freshman forward Hilda Svensson leads the Buckeyes with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points on the season. Between the pipes, senior goaltender Hailey MacLeod holds a .869 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.

Recap vs. Bemidji State:

Minnesota State is coming off a successful weekend against Bemidji State, earning a shootout win on Friday and a 2-0 victory on Saturday.

In Friday's matchup, the Mavericks and Beavers finished regulation tied 2-2. Ayla Puppe scored a power-play goal in the second period, while Mercury Bischoff found the back of the net in the third. Goaltender Hailey Hansen made 25 saves to keep the Mavericks in the game. After a scoreless overtime, Taylor Otremba sealed the win in the shootout with the deciding goal, giving Minnesota State the 3-2 edge.

On Saturday, the Mavericks secured a 2-0 shutout victory behind strong defensive play and standout goaltending from freshman Kaydence Roeske. After two scoreless periods, Kamryn Van Batavia broke through early in the third with the game-winning goal, assisted by Otremba and Makayla Moran. Bischoff added an insurance goal late in the period to seal the win. Roeske earned her first career shutout with a solid performance in net.

Series History:

The Mavericks are 15-86-11 all-time against the Buckeyes. The last meeting between the two programs came at the OSU Ice Rink, where Ohio State earned 5-2 and 4-1 wins.

Watch Live:

Both games will be streamed on B1G+ (bigtenplus.com).