The No. 2 Ohio State University women's hockey team has had the Bulldogs number this season, and Saturday afternoon at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeyes had it for a fourth and final time, with a 3-1 win and series sweep over the No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team.

The Bulldogs have lost six-straight to the OSU dating back to last January, and finish the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season winless in four skates against the Buckeyes this season. 

UMD kneecapped its comeback chances with three penalties in the final 7:05 of the third period, including one at 12:55 mark that led to the Buckeyes third goal of the game less than a minute later.

Both teams scored in the first period, with the Buckeyes cashing in with a goal from Jordan Baxter at 11:23, and UMD equalizing on a Molly Cole one-time rebound at 18:01 off a Grace Sadura tip down on the backdoor, Cole's fifth of the season.

SO COLE pic.twitter.com/3a9u1PwLBQ

— UMD Women's Hockey (@UMDWHockey) January 31, 2026

OSU broke that tie a mere 1:24 into the second period, however, on Jocelyn Amos' fourth goal of the series. It would be the only goal the Buckeyes would need to stay ahead of UMD, though two Buckeyes were called off, including one at 4:06 where an OSU player drove into UMD goaltender Eve Gascon, leaving the contest at 2-1 after 40 minutes of action.

The Buckeyes thought they had take a 3-1 lead again at 11:26 of the third period, but again, the goal was called off after UMD head coach Laura Schuler challenged goaltender interference and won – an OSU player skated through the crease and knocked UMD goaltender Gascon over just before the puck was shot.

But a Bulldog penalty at 12:55 put OSU's power play back on the ice, and it finally made UMD pay up at 3-1 55 seconds later.

UMD tried to rally but took two separate penalties in the final four minutes of play to make it all but impossible to make a run at the nation's second-ranked team.

OSU outshot UMD 37-33, a lead the Buckeyes took over after outshelling the Bulldogs 15-7 in the third period. Gascon made 34 saves for the Bulldogs, who went scoreless in four power play attempts.

UMD (13-12-3, 9-10-3) returns to AMSOIL Arena next weekend for just the 11th and 12th times this season to host Bemidji State University. The Friday-Saturday series gets underway at 3:07 p.m. next Friday.