Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques (18) and teammates celebrated her overtime goal against the Gophers in the WCHA championship game March 6 at Ridder Arena. The teams meet again this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. (Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Even though the Gophers women's hockey team has played just six of its 28 scheduled WCHA games, the significance of an early-season series with a conference foe shouldn't be downplayed.

"These games [in October] are as big as games in February," Gophers coach Brad Frost said.

When the No. 2-ranked Gophers and top-ranked Ohio State meet in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend, it will be the second time in the rivalry that the teams have entered the game as the top two teams in the nation.

The first time was in their most recent meeting. On March 6, the Buckeyes, then ranked No. 2, outlasted the top-ranked Gophers 3-2 in overtime in the championship game of the WCHA Final Faceoff. The Buckeyes went on to win their first national title.

Both teams are unbeaten this season. The Gophers (6-0, 6-0 WCHA) are coming off a sweep of St. Cloud State (4-2 and 2-1). The Buckeyes (8-0, 8-0), who are off to the best season start in program history, have a program-record 18-game winning streak dating to last season.

"It's going to be a great series," Frost said. "The way they play, they are on you all the time. It will be controlled chaos."

The Buckeyes are coming off a sweep of Minnesota Duluth in Columbus. The Buckeyes won each game 3-2. The series opener was in overtime.

Gophers defenseman Madeline Wethington agreed with her coach, saying, "Every point in the WCHA matters. We just have to take it game by game. We've had a lot of success on the road. It's a great opportunity."

The Gophers won just one of five meetings with the Buckeyes last season. The Gophers' 5-3 road victory on Jan. 29 came after the Buckeyes won the series opener 2-1 in overtime.

The Buckeyes have been led by a trio of graduate students. Sophie Jaques, who scored the game-winner in the Buckeyes' overtime victory over the Gophers in the WCHA championship game, has seven goals and five assists.

"Sophie is special," Frost said. "She has an incredible knack for finding the soft spots."

Forward Gabby Rosenthal, from Blaine, has five goals and three assists, and forward Paetyn Levis, from Rogers, has two goals and seven assists. There are six other Minnesotans on the roster.

Buckeyes coach Nadine Muzerall, a former Gophers player in her seventh season as the Buckeyes coach, has a 17-9-2 record against Minnesota.