GOPHERS SET TO HOST OSU THIS WEEKEND
The University of Minnesota women's hockey team will host its first conference series of the season when Ohio State University comes to town, Oct. 17-18. Friday's game is slated for a 7:07 p.m. start, while Saturday's tilt is at 4:07 p.m.
ROCK RIDDER NIGHT SET FOR OCT. 17
University of Minnesota women's hockey team will host a “Rock Ridder' event on Friday, Oct. 17 in a 7 p.m. game against Ohio State. In conjunction with Second Harvest Heartland, a local food shelf organization, every fan who donates a non-perishable or canned food item will receive free admission. Fans who are not able to donate food, can receive $2 admission for the game. The University of Minnesota hopes to break its Ridder Arena attendance record of 3,251 fans, which was set in 2007. Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest's largest hunger-relief and forms the cornerstone of organizations working together to alleviate hunger in 59 county service areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Along with free admission with food items, promotional giveaways will also be held during the two intermissions, winning a chance at a Guitar Hero set and $500 worth of free gasoline from Holiday Station.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
Fans who wish to watch the games online can do so by signing up for the Gold Zone on the Minnesota website. Dan Hamann will provide the play-by-play for the Gopher games. Minnesota's road games next weekend can be found on www.gophersports.com via audio broadcast.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota travels to Madison, Wis., to face the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers, Oct. 24 & 26 at the Kohl Center. The Friday and Sunday games are set for a 2:07 p.m. start. The Gophers then return to Ridder Arena Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. when the Gophers and St. Cloud State compete in a home-and-home series. Minnesota will then compete at the National Hockey Center on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
THE SERIES
The meeting this weekend is the 41st and 42nd games between Minnesota and Ohio State, dating back to the start of the WCHA in 1999. During that span, Minnesota holds a 31-8-1 record against OSU, including a 3-1-0 mark against the Buckeyes last season. Minnesota swept OSU, 7-3 and 5-1 last year at Ridder on Feb. 8-9. However, prior to the series sweep last February, Minnesota and OSU had split five consecutive series between the two teams.
THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes opened the season with a series sweep over Providence and fell to Wisconsin last weekend, placing them at 2-2-0 overall and 0-2-0 in the WCHA. In their first four games of the season, freshman forward Natalie Spooner leads the team with four points, followed by senior forward Hayley Klassen and freshman forward Laura McIntosh with three points. Junior goaltender Liana Bonanno returns for her senior season. Playing in all four games this season, Bonanno was named the USCHO.com Defensive Player of the Week as she helped OSU to a series sweep over the Friars. OSU lost its three key contributors from last year's team in Erin Keys, Tessa Bonhomme and Lisa Chesson. All three were All-WCHA selections last year, while Bonhomme was the WCHA Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Jackie Barto is in her 10th year as the OSU head coach, holding a 141-162-31 mark.
