The Gophers might well be the second-best women’s college hockey team in the country. But their weekend series with Ohio State at Ridder Arena showed that, for at least the moment, there is a wide gulf between No. 1 and No. 2.

The Buckeyes (18-2-0, 12-1 WCHA) completed the two-game sweep with a 6-1 victory on Saturday afternoon, proving to be as dominant as they were in Friday night’s 7-0 victory. This time around they used a five-goal second period to help secure their fourth victory over the Gophers this season.

The Gophers (16-5-1, 10-5-1 WCHA) looked overmatched for much of the game, just as they did on Friday. The Buckeyes showed superior speed and clearly were the most aggressive team.

“I’ve said since the first time we played them: This is one of the best collegiate women’s hockey teams I’ve ever seen,” said Gophers coach Brad Frost. “Not this year, not in the last couple years. I’ve been around for 24 years and that’s as deep a group as I’ve ever seen.

“They’re all over you, they support the puck really well. Players on their fourth line are getting hat tricks against us (Joy Dunne on Friday).”

Ohio State outshot the Gophers 39-18, including 25-3 in the decisive second period.

“They’re a fast and dynamic team,” Gophers fifth-year defenseman Madeline Wethington said. “They’re really offensive. We’re not used to having to play that much defense.”

Strong forechecking led to the Buckeyes’ first goal at 6:32 of the second period, with Plymouth native Sloane Matthews scoring off a scramble in front.

The Buckeyes then scored three times within a span of 1 minute, 48 seconds midway through the period to take charge. Two of the goals came on the power play. They added a fifth goal late in the period, taking advantage of a Gophers turnover in their own zone.

“We mentally shut down the past two games for a span of about five minutes, and that really cost us,” Wethington said. “Luckily, it’s not the playoffs and the championship game.”

Frost said those kinds of lapses simply can’t happen when playing such a skilled opponent.

“To get outshot the way we were in the second period …” he said. “Again, we were in good position (after the first period), we got in some penalty trouble, and it ended up in the net.”

The Buckeyes didn’t get their first shot on goal until 10:48 of the scoreless first period. Wethington said the focus was on keeping the Buckeyes to the perimeter.

“After the first period we didn’t really do that,” she said.

In the meantime, the Gophers got little going offensively. The Buckeyes’ best defense was their aggressive offense.

“When you are defending a lot, as we were,” Frost said, “by the time you do get the puck out you just want to get the red (line) and get a change. That takes away from the offense, because then you’re chasing again.”

Madison Kaiser scored for the Gophers at 6:23 of the third period to avert being shut out for the second straight game.

Wethington acknowledged that the Gophers are a little bit rattled over what happened to them the past two games.

“We’re not used to losing very often,” she said, “so any time we lose it’s pretty frustrating. But we don’t have time to sit and mope around. We’ve just got to be ready for our next opponent.”

Next up for the Gophers are a pair of games at Bemidji State, but Frost seemed more focused on the big picture.

“This is a big moment for our group,” he said. “We have to decide what we want to be going forward. We got swept (in Columbus) and it felt a lot better than it did getting swept here.

“There was some encouragement after that weekend. This weekend we have to look in the mirror and say. ‘OK, what do we want to be going forward?’

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