NCAA Women's Hockey: What to Watch, Week 4
- 4 min read

NCAA Women's Hockey: What to Watch, Week 4

NCAA Women's Hockey: What to Watch, Week 4 by Nicole Haase

Come back each week for a breakdown of the most interesting upcoming games, how to watch or listen to them, and some thoughts on the movers and shakers from the previous week.

(1) Wisconsin at (8) Ohio State

Friday at 6:00 PM and Saturday at 2:00 PM Eastern

Watch: A paid stream is available on FloHockey.

This has turned into one of the better rivalries in women's college hockey right now. The Buckeyes seem to play their best and even find a new level with they face the Badgers. The teams have played 87 times, with Wisconsin holding the advantage with a 67-11-9 record. However, it's been much closer recently, with the Badgers having a slight advantage over the last 10 match ups.

Ohio State prevented Wisconsin from winning the regular season WCHA title by earning two ties in the final weekend, but the Badgers got revenge two weeks later when they ended the Buckeyes' season in the semi-finals of the WCHA tournament.

Both teams have been prolific on offense to start the year. Emma Maltais scored four times in a game against St. Cloud State last weekend while Daryl Watts leads the country in scoring and has netted at least one goal in each of her first four games as a Badger.

Both teams feature stellar goaltending, though Wisconsin’s Kristen Campbell has the advantage, having put up three shutouts so far this season. The Badgers have not given up an even-strength goal since their last meeting with Ohio State in the WCHA semi-final.

This is a meeting of high-flying offense and staunch, shot-blocking defenses with very good goaltending. It’s pretty much everything you'd want in a hockey game.

New Hampshire at Connecticut

Friday at 6:00 PM at Eastern

Watch: Paid stream available via College Sports Live.

These are two similar teams who will be jockeying for position in Hockey East all season, making it an intriguing early-season pairing.

UConn started off against LIU-Brooklyn and outscored the Sharks 10-1 on the weekend. They come into this game with a lot of confidence in their offense and ability to outskate opponents. New Hampshire lost a game and tied with St. Lawrence last weekend. They came from behind to take a 5-3 lead heading into the final period, but weren’t able to keep the Saints from tying the game. The Huskies showed a lot of fight, but are still working to complete the full 60 minutes of a game.

Redshirt sophomore Paige Rynne has been great up front for New Hampshire thus far and UConn continues to rely on Natalie Snodgrass to control their offensive threat. Eight different Huskies scored for them in their weekend of LIU-Brooklyn, showing a depth they haven't necessarily had in recent years and giving them a more dynamic offense that teams will need to look out for.

(3) Northeastern at Syracuse

Friday at 7:00 PM and Saturday at 3:00 PM Eastern

Watch: Free stream available on Cuse.com.

Syracuse is such an interesting team to me. They've shown tremendous growth in recent years and they've managed to continue to play with a bit of the abandon that I think carried them through the CHA tournament and into their first NCAA bid last season. They have a loose, "nothing to lose" style that works for them and they play like they believe they can win every game. It's a tough combination for teams to plan for and play against.

The Orange played a stellar game against Boston College last weekend, outshooting the Eagles 36-22 and nearly mounting a comeback before falling short 4-3. They were better on the faceoff and on special teams.

Syracuse is an up and coming team that may not match up skill-for-skill or player-for-player, but the whole is better than the sum of their parts. As they grow this season, they'll gain momentum and even more confidence in what they're capable of. That, in my opinion, makes them primed to upset teams that, on paper, look better than they do.

Northeastern's top line is one of the best in the country and they picked up right where they left off after last season. They should be a team that's in contention to win the conference and be a player in the postseason and NCAA tournament. They are a no-joke team that comes with offensive firepower and a strong goalie. It should be exciting to see if Syracuse can throw them off their game.

Also worth a look:

  • Providence at Bemidji State – Friday at 3:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM Central
  • Quinnipiac at Maine – Friday and Saturday at 2:00 PM Eastern
  • St. Cloud State at RIT – Friday at 6:00 PM and Saturday at 2:00 PM Eastern

Stick Taps and Snark

Providence freshman Bailey Burton –  Her second career goal was a game-winner at Quinnipiac and her first was the team's only goal in a 2-1 loss on Friday.

Boston University –  The Terriers dropped two places in the standings despite a 2-1 win over Union last week.

Ohio State junior Emma Maltais– She tied a program record with four goals in Saturday's win over St. Cloud State. She also had two assists and  finished the weekend with a +7 rating.

Penn State goalie Jenna Brenneman – The senior transferred to Penn State last year from Clarkson and wrote herself all over the Nittany Lions record books. She suffered a lower body injury early this season and it's unknown if she will return. Her loss is a big blow for Penn State, who benefited from her experience in net last year.

Wisconsin junior Maddie Posick –  She scored her first career goal as a Badger on a beautiful play that included a between the legs move at center ice and finishing on a 1-on-4 as she scored. As a bonus, her dad Brian was calling the game for Fox Sports Wisconsin. It was one of the more heart-warming moments of the young season.

(Photo: Wisconsin Women's Hockey Twitter)