#3 Minnesota (21-3-2) vs. #5 Minnesota Duluth (19-7-1)

Friday: No. 3 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 1
Saturday: No. 3 Minnesota 4, No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 3

Game one of this crucial series was a defensive battle; no goals were scored in the first half of the opening contest. The Gophers broke the tie on a Catie Skaja goal at the 10:46 mark of the second period.

The Gophers led 1-0 at the end of the second period. The Bulldogs stormed back with a goal from Taylor Stewart 37 seconds into the third period.

The game was tied 1-1 until Abbey Murphy scored what would eventually be the game-winning goal at 7:56 in the third period. Abbey Murphy scored an insurance goal late in the third period for the Gophers to win 3-1. This game was very even, as shots on goal favored the Gophers 35–31. 

The Gophers took the momentum from the first game and started off hot in the second game, as Peyton Hemp and Josefin Bouveng both scored to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead. Gabby Krause helped the Bulldogs bring the score back to a one-goal lead on a power play goal halfway through the second period. Peyton Hemp had a huge game for the Gophers, as she scored her second goal of the game at the 14:02 mark of the second period to make it a 3-1 Gopher lead into the break.

Both teams traded goals back and forth the rest of the way, as Mannon McMahon brought it back within one for the Bulldogs. Abigail Boreen scored the game-winning goal for the Gophers, bringing the score to 4-2. The Bulldogs were not quite done yet, as they got a power play goal by Taylor Anderson with about two minutes left in the game.

Following their late power-play goal, the Bulldogs were unable to find any clutch scoring to tie the game. The Gophers swept the Bulldogs with a 4-3 win on Saturday. The Bulldogs outshot the Gophers 24-20 in game two of this series.

#15 St. Cloud State (15-14-0) vs. Bemidji State (4-23-1)

Friday: No. 15 St. Cloud State 2, Bemidji State 0

 Saturday: No. 15 St. Cloud State 2, Bemidji State 1

The Beavers hung in and won two close games this past weekend. Both games in this series were low-scoring defensive battles. The Huskies eventually got the sweep, but this was a solid performance by the struggling Beavers.

The Huskies started early in the first game, as Jenniina Nylund scored on a power-play goal at the 5:25 mark of the first period. The Beavers were fighting hard and only trailed 1-0 when Addison Scribner scored on a power play in the second period.

The Beavers outshot the Huskies this game, 32-25. St. Cloud State goaltender Jojo Chobak had an outstanding performance with a 32-save shutout, including 17 saves in the third period.

Game two started off the same way, with a great defensive battle with both goalies competing at a high level. The Beavers broke their series scoring hiatus very early in the second period with a Claire Vekich power-play goal. Things were looking good for the Beavers heading into the third period, but Addi Scribner, who had a great series, scored again for the Huskies.

The game was tied at one late in the third period, and it looked like overtime was the likely outcome, but Courtney Hall was clutch in the end, as she scored the late game-winner for the Huskies with just under four minutes left in the game.

This was a great series with two close games, and the Beavers have to feel good about the defense and goaltending they had in this series. The Beavers just could not find much scoring in this series, but their goaltending and defense kept them in both games.

#8 Wisconsin (20-7) vs. St. Thomas (7-20-1)

Friday: No. 8 Wisconsin 6, St. Thomas 1

Saturday: No. 8 Wisconsin 3, St. Thomas 0

It was rough sledding for the Tommies this past weekend against the Badgers. On the two-game series, the Tommies were outscored 1-9. Wisconsin rates as one of the top teams in the country, so this isn't a negative data point for the Tommies.

In game one, the Tommies started the game off with a goal in the first period by Maddy Clough at 4:24. The Tommies would go in and not score for 115 more minutes, which was the rest of the series.

The Badgers found most of their scoring in this game in the second period, scoring four goals in the second stanza. Alexa Dobchuk had a solid performance in the net, as she saved 44 out of 50 shots. Casey O'Brien had a big night for the Badgers with two goals and two assists. The final score of game one was a 6-1 win for the Badgers.

Game two was more solid defensively for the Tommies, as they only allowed 36 shots on goal compared to 50 in the other game.

Maddie Wheeler scored in the first minute of the game for the Badgers, and their other two goals came from Kirsten Simms and Casey O'Brien in the second period.

The Tommies were right in the second game; they just never found the back of the net, however.

#1 Ohio State Minnesota (24-2-2) vs. Minnesota State (13-15-0)

Friday: No. 1 Ohio State 6, Minnesota State 2

Saturday: No. 1 Ohio State 4, Minnesota State 2

The Mavericks faced a difficult task this past weekend when they traveled east to meet the nation's top team, Ohio State.

The first game started with an Ohio State goal scored by Paetyn Levis. The Mavericks got on board for their first goal at the 2:30 mark of the second period, as Madison Mashuga broke the zero on the scoreboard for the Mavs.

The Buckeyes got two more goals in the second period, as Sophie Jaques and Jennifer Gardiner made it 3-1 heading into the second intermission. Minnesota State's Kelsey King scored very early in the third period to make it a one-score game at 3-2.

The Buckeyes pounced on the Mavericks as they scored three unanswered to win the game 6-3. Shots on the net were heavily in favor of the Buckeyes (42-15).

Game two was all Buckeyes early, as they scored three goals in the first period. The Mavericks zapped the momentum out of the Buckeyes, as Charlotte Akervik and Claire Butorac each scored within a minute of each other.

The game was 3-2 in favor of the Buckeyes halfway through, and the game went into the second intermission at that score. Riley Brengman scored a crucial insurance goal for the Buckeyes at the 10:36 mark of the third period.

The Mavericks scored two goals in the same minute but did not score again for the rest of the game. The Buckeyes got the sweep with a 4-2 win.