After losing twice at Penn State a week ago, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team will hit the road once again this weekend looking for better results in Columbus against Ohio State.

Ohio State (7-15-2, 2-8-0-0 Big Ten) is the first team with a losing record Wisconsin (2-18-4, 0-8-2-2) has played since Colorado College over two months ago, making this weekend’s two game series a prime opportunity for the Badgers to capture their first Big Ten win.

But while the Buckeyes are second-to-last in the Big Ten, ahead of the Badgers, Wisconsin goaltender Joel Rumpel said they are treating the Buckeyes just like any other team on their schedule.

“You don’t pay too much attention to the record when you know everyone in the Big Ten is a strong team,” Rumpel said. “You’ve got to prepare the same way, like you were playing one of the best teams.”

While Ohio State does not have a winning record, they will still enjoy the advantage of having the home crowd behind them. Wisconsin freshman Cameron Hughes said it will be important for them to match the energy and momentum the Buckeyes will gain from playing in front of their home fans.

According to Hughes, they can accomplish that by embracing the role of the underdog and believing in each other even if it seems like no one does.

“Playing on the road, you’ve got to create, you’ve got to create your own energy, you’ve got to create your own momentum,” Hughes said.  “We can use the ‘us against the world’ mentality mantra on the bench.”

In addition to matching Ohio State’s energy, Wisconsin will also hope Hughes can match his strong last couple weeks of play. Two weekends ago against Minnesota, the freshman earned his first goal as a Badger in dramatic fashion when he scored what looked — at the time — like a game-winning goal with just over a minute left before the game eventually ended in a tie. Hughes added two more to his tally in Friday night’s 5-2 loss to Penn State to give him his first multi-goal game of his career.

Hughes said that he and his fellow Badger freshmen started to feel more comfortable and settled since the team’s holiday break, which has allowed them to step up their game and provide the team with added depth.

“We’re feeling more comfortable since Christmas time, and that’s good moving forward,” Hughes said. “We’re able to roll four lines now, and all guys are contributing.”

While the Badgers would likely rather play this weekend at the Kohl Center, Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said this weekend’s trip is a valuable experience for his team. The trip to Columbus, or any road game in the Big Ten, serves as a dress rehearsal for the Big Ten Tournament, when the Badgers will be playing away from home in Detroit with their season on the line.

“To extend our season, we have to play well on the road,” Eaves said. “We get six more cracks at it before we go to Detroit, so it’s pivotal for us to figure this riddle out.”

The Badgers and Buckeyes will square off at 5:30 p.m. Friday before closing out the two-game series Saturday at 6 p.m.