Lara Stalder didn't think she'd become a Bulldog.

After University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey head coach Shannon Miller and assistant coach Laura Schuler saw Stalder play in the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland as a 16 year-old, they never evaluated her again.  The Bulldog coaching staff had planned on a second evaluation at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Burlington, Vermont, but as fate would have it, Stalder broke her ankle right before the tournament.

"I didn't really know much about playing hockey in a college in America until UMD started to contact me," said Stalder.  "It made me really happy and for the first time I started thinking about going to America to play hockey.  As it got closer to my graduation, I had more contact with UMD, but then I broke my ankle right before the 2013 Worlds.  I really thought I would not end up at UMD because they wanted to see me in Vermont.  It made me really happy when Coach Schuler skyped me after that and told me that they still wanted me to come to UMD."

Stalder, who hails from Luzern, Switzerland, was just a rookie on the Swiss National Team the one and only time the Bulldog staff got to see her play in person, but Stalder knew early on that UMD was the place for her.  

"They cared about me a lot and it wasn't a really hard decision for me to pick UMD," said Stalder.  "Furthermore, I got to know Jennifer Harss in a IIHF camp when she was still playing here. She told me a lot about UMD and recommended Duluth.  Another reason that I came here is that UMD is really international and even now it's so cool to have people on the team from so many different countries with different languages and cultures."

Along with Harss, Stalder was already familar with former Bulldog goaltender and Switzerland native Patricia Elsmore-Sautter, and Stalder considered Elsmore-Sautter very helpful in her recruiting process.  She is also absolutely certain she made the right choice to become a Bulldog.

"I think a lot of things have made it clear that I made the right choice," said Stalder.  "I like it here, Duluth is pretty and it is similar to Switzerland, just without Mountains.  We have a great coaching staff and I've learned a lot already since I've come here.   Hockey is just on different level compared to my past experiences. Everything is managed so professional and the facility we have is incredible.'

Despite missing eight games due to Olympic duties her rookie season, Stalder still ranked No. 4 nationally among all rookie scorers with 22 points on four goals and 18 assists.  Ranking eighth among all defenseman in the NCAA in scoring, it wasn't a stretch for Stalder to move to the front line.  In fact, after being told by the coaching staff that she would most likely move to center during the 2014-15 season, Stalder cemented her ability to transition by playing three games as a forward in Sochi.

"When I played defense, I was more of an offensive defenseman and now as center I can be even more active in the offensive zone," said Stalder.  "My teammates and especially my linemates helped me to get comfortable as a center.  Compared to defense, it is more skating and I have the opportunity to use a lot of speed and take the puck to the net, which I really like."

Stalder's move to center has been paying off for the Bulldogs.  Currently tied as the Bulldogs' point leader with nine points (2g, 7a), she dished out five assists last weekend in UMD's series sweep of Lindenwood University, figuring in over half of the Bulldogs' nine goals.  Miller has also been clear who she thinks is one of UMD's best players right now, and it's no stretch to say it's Stalder.

"We moved Lara from defense to center because she has great feet, hands and the instinct to take the puck to the net," said Miller.  "Right now she is one of our best players because she keeps her feet moving, shares the puck and is very strong offensively and defensively.  Lara has killer instinct and I love her unselfish play."

With an Olympic bronze medal in her possession, Stalder is no where near satisfied with her trophy collection.  Like most UMD players that play their home games under the AMSOIL Arena rafters, the five NCAA title banners are a constant reminder of what a team can aspire to

"To me, it means very much," said Stalder. "I think next to the Olympics, it is the biggest thing a women can achieve in women's hockey. The whole league and especially our conference is so competitive and professional, which makes it even harder to win. To win a national championship is one thing that not a lot of women's hockey players can achieve, and I want to reach that goal and win a national title with UMD.  We have everything that it takes to win one and I believe it is possible."

Stalder's hockey career itself is a consant reminder that nothing is impossible.  It was possible to become a Bulldog.  It was possible to win a bronze Olympic medal as a freshman in college.  And it was possible to become a center after a young career spent most often as a defenseman.  There is every reason for Stalder to think another banner is in the future for UMD.  Afterall, in the hockey world of Lara Stalder, anything is possible.