University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey senior forward Ryleigh Houston is coming off a two point weekend at the MN Cup, including an all-important goal in the championship game that gave the No. 10 Bulldogs a 2-0 lead over Bemidji State University. 

For fans watching Houston's contributions in the tournament, it might be easy to forget that the product of Winnipeg, Manitoba hasn't been in a Bulldog sweater for all four years of her college career.  Houston had just finished up her freshman season at the University of North Dakota in the spring of 2017 when the school announced it was going to cut the program. Transferring when you want out of a program is hard enough on players -- transferring when you had no intentions of ever leaving is a whole other level of complicated.

"My experience coming to UMD from the loss of the UND program was pretty difficult," said Houston. "It took me the majority of my first year at UMD to get comfortable and come to terms with the traumatic event. It was a situation that affected me more than I thought it would on and off the ice. It was one of the hardest things that I've had to go through and it has made me a better person today because of it now that I have come to terms with it."

Houston arrived in Duluth ahead of the 2017-18 season after having posted the second most points of any other UND player as a rookie.  In 38 games, Houston notched eight goals and dished out 18 assists for 26 points, as well as recording a team-high plus/minus rating of +10.  While her numbers as a sophomore were not as robust as her first season at UND, Houston still compiled three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in her first season of acclimation.

"I chose UMD because I knew it was a program that would push me out of my comfort zone," said Houston.  "I knew that if I wanted to become the best I could be, I needed to step out of my comfort zone even with UND folding in order to continue to improve. The decision to come to UMD has turned out to be a great decision both on and off the ice."

Last season, as a junior, Houston netted a collegiate-best nine goals and added 11 assists for 20 points in 35 games.  All told, Houston has 44 points as a Bulldog (13g, 31a) in 89 games so far, and over her entire complicated college career, the winger has registered 70 points (21g, 49a) in 127 games.  It hasn't been easy, but that hasn't deterred Houston, who also logged minutes with the Canadian Women's Development Team in August of 2018, and contributed a goal in just her second U-22 skate of her international career.

While Houston's college career may not have begun the way she once thought it was, there is little question the senior has made the most of a once difficult decision.  Asked if there would have been anything she knows now that she wished her 18-year old self could have known, Houston's response was insightful and mature.

"I would tell myself to not take things for granted," Houston offered.  "Many seniors always say that time flies and before you know it you'll be graduating. I agree with this; however, my opinion is a little different. I would say that things can be taken away from you at any moment, but it is how you respond to those situations that will make you into the person you want to be. Trust that no matter what happens on or off the ice that everything will work out in the end and don't dwell on the little things."

Great advice from a Bulldog who navigated one of college sports most unprecedented hurdles and not only survived --but has thrived -- at UMD.