GRAND FORKS, ND - The University of North Dakota women's hockey team returns home to the Ralph Englestad Arena for a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Series against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday with opening faceoffs at 7:07 p.m. and 4:07 p.m. respectively.
Ohio State is currently third in the WCHA with nine points and a 4-3-1-0 record (4-3-3 overall) ... The Buckeyes have the second-most goals scored in the conference this season (31) but have given up the most goals in the league as well in the same amount (31) ... OSU played two non-conference games to open the year against now eighth-ranked Boston University with both games finishing in a tie (1-1 and 4-4) ... Buckeyes are not ranked but recieving points in both polls ... Freshman Hokey Langen leads the team in points and goals (7-8-15) sophomores Laura McIntosh (3-10-13) and Natalie Spooner (5-7-12) are both in double-digit points.
Head coach Jackie Barto is in her 11th season with the Buckeys while holding a record of 151-188-35. Barto has a career record of 221-241-47 in 16 seasons. She is assisted by Catherine Hanson and Josh Liegl.
UND is 3-15-2 all-time against the Buckeyes ... Two of UND's three wins came last season ... Both teams swept their respective home series ... The Sioux only other win came in its first-ever meeting on Oct. 28, 2004 with a 5-4 overtime win in Grand Forks ... Thirty percent of games between the two teams have gone to overtime (six of 20) ... The Sioux have a 2-2-2 record in those six games ... The Buckeyes have outscored the Sioux 71-44 in the all-time series.
The Fighting Sioux skated to a series split against the St. Cloud State Huskies at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
After scoring only seven goals through six games to open the year, the Sioux exploded for five goals on Friday, which was just enoguh to squeek by the Huskies 5-4 in an overtime thriller. Junior captain Kelly Lewis connected on a one-timer at the 2:26 mark of the extra stanza on the power play for her first goal of the season.The Sioux had three players with three assists (Alyssa Wiebe, Mary Loken and Meagan Gilbert) while Wiebe added two goals.
The Huskies edged the Sioux 3-2 on Saturday to earn the split. Freshmen Jordan Slavin (first collegiate goal) and Ashley Furia scored for the Sioux.
The Sioux are currently not ranked or receiving votes.
Alyssa Wiebe set a new program record as she scored five points against the Huskies in their overtime winner. She knotched two goals and three assists picking up a point on every Sioux goal in the game.
Wiebe, along with Meagan Gilbert and Mary Loken, all had three assists in the game which ties the record for assists in a game that had only happened nine times before by a Sioux.
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Source: UND, KFGO News Center
