After derailing the defending NCAA champions on the road last weekend, the No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will open up AMSOIL Arena this Saturday and Sunday to host Syraucse University in non-conference action. The series will get underway on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., and conclude Sunday with a 3:00 p.m. puck drop.

UMD DUSTS OFF RECENT HISTORY WITH SWEEP OF THE TOP-RANKED BUCKEYES: The Bulldogs blew up some dusty history last weekend with their sweep over then No. 1/2 Ohio State.

--UMD defeated OSU for the first time in Columbus since Jan. 21, 2022, and the first No. 1 opponent since Dec. 3, 2022 (a 5-4 overtime win against the University of Wisconsin at AMSOIL Arena).

--Sunday, the Bulldogs swept the Buckeyes for the first time since they did it AMSOIL on Feb. 7-8, 2020 (by scores of 5-4 and 4-1). UMD also became the firs team to sweep OSU since the 2021-22 season.

--Even more impressively, it was the Bulldogs first win over a top-2 team since UMD swept the then No. 2 University of Minnesota back on Jan. 13-14, 2017 by scores of 3-2 and 5-3 at AMSOIL Arena.

--Most impressively of all, the last time UMD swept a No.1 ranked team before last weekend was Feb. 5-6, 2010, 3-1 and 3-0 wins over the Gophers at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. For more reference, UMD's freshman class, including Sunday's two-goal scorer Caitlin Kraemer, were just four years old.

NEW BUT NOT NOVICES: Caitlin Kraemer, who became the first rookie center to debut on a first line in her first game since current assistant coach Ashleigh Brykaliuk did it against UConn on Oct. 4, 2013, was not the only freshman center to debut Saturday. In fact, the Bulldogs had three rookie centers in the line-up in the season opener (and the enitre series) -- Reese Logan and Zoey Krock were the other two. It's the most freshman centers in the lineup UMD has had in an opening game in its NCAA era history (2000-01 until now).

THE SCHULER ERA BEGINS WITH A BANG: Laura Schuler started off her Bulldog head coaching career with a series sweep over No. 1/2 Ohio State on the road. Schuler joined UMD's previous two coaches with a career opening win -- both her predecessors also won in their opening contest, and all three UMD head coaches in program history swept their first series at the helm.

Schuler spent a total of 10 seasons, including the past three, as an assistant, and then associate head coach last season, to former head coach Maura Crowell.

A part of six NCAA Tournament teams at UMD in all, including three NCAA Frozen Fours and an NCAA championship title in 2010, Schuler helped those 10 UMD teams to a record of 187-105-29, and not only coached all 13 of the Bulldog's PWHL draft picks over the past two drafts during her time with the UMD program, but has also coached 25 of UMD's 41 Olympians.

As the third head coach in program history, Schuler notably has the distinction of having served as an assistant coach for multiple seasons under both of the previous head coaches at UMD – most recently Maura Crowell (2015-2023) and Shannon Miller (1999-2015).

UMD and Syracuse have never met in program history, but the Bulldogs have played in 17 games all-time against the current members of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA), the conference Syracuse is now a member of after College Hockey America (CHA) merged with ahead of this season. That record is 13-3-1 all-time against those members, with UMD last skating against Penn State University on Sept. 30, 2022 in Canton, NY, a 4-0 win for the Bulldogs two seasons ago. Here's a look all-time of UMD against the AHA members:

Lindenwood, 4-0

Mercyhurst, 5-1-1

Penn State, 3-1

RIT, N/A

Robert Morris University, 1-1

Syracuse, N/A

Ironically, graduate forward Olivia Wallin spent three seasons with Penn State and skated against the Orange 10 times over that span. Wallin recorded seven goals and three assists against the Nitany Lions for 10 points and a 1.00 points per game average.

LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore goaltender Eve Gascon turned away 39 shots last Saturday in UMD's 2-1 upset win, and 36 in Sunday's 4-3 win over Ohio State University.

In game one OSU struck just 1:39 into the frame on a puck that popped up and over Gascon, but despite being out shot 18-2, the Bulldogs only trailed 1-0.

But UMD flipped the script in the second stanza, and secured by the play of Gascon, outshot the Buckeyes 7-4 and finally broke through a 17 period scoreless stranglehold OSU had on the Bulldogs dating back to their first game last season. Graduate forward Olivia Wallin threw the puck towards the front of the net from behind the goal line, and its deflection beat Amanda Thiele at 18:46 to pull UMD even with OSU at 1-1.

Ida Karlsson's first game-winning goal of her collegiate career came off a pass from former OSU fifth-year Olivia Mobley just 23.3 seconds left in the game to take over a 2-1 lead, and UMD withstood the final 23 seconds like it did the entire 60 minutes, behind the goaltending of Gascon. Gascon made 39 saves, 17 in the first period and 18 in the third for her first win of the season and 11th of her UMD career. UMD's defense held the Buckeyes scoreless on three power play attempts, and as a unit, had 16 blocks. Junior defenseman Tova Henderson had a team-high five blocks on the afternoon.

Sunday was college hockey's introduction to UMD rookie Caitlin Kraemer, who scored two goals in the third period to equalize and help defeat the Buckeyes.

Kraemer logged a game-high three points in the outing, recording her first UMD assist along with her first two collegiate goals. Kraemer's offensive outburst, paired again with the outstanding goaltending effort of Ève Gascon, was a 1-2 punch from an inspired UMD side the Buckeyes were unable to fend off all weekend.

After OSU opened up the scoring 6:04 into the first period with an extra attacker on a delayed penalty call, graduate forward Clara Van Wieren equalized. Van Wieren hammered home a loose puck in the slot to draw UMD even at 14:06, assisted by Wallin, her second point on the weekend and rookie center Caitlin Kraemer, the first point of her brand new career.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game just 1:50 into the second period off a power play goal from senior forward Jenna Lawry. Lawry's snipe from the circle blew by former UMD goaltender Hailey MacLeod to go ahead 2-1. 

After Schuler had a OSU goal taken off the board with a successful challenge for goaltender interference midway through the frame, the Buckeyes buried two goals 10 seconds apart to retake the lead, a 3-2 advantage OSU would take into the second intermission.

Enter Kraemer, who knotted the game at the 4:35 mark after skating the length of the ice and the, at 14:33 unleashed a shot past MacLeod's glove side to take over the 4-3 lead late in the third period.

UMD's defensive core again stood strong, keeping the Buckeyes scoreless on three power play attempts, including 15 seconds of 6-on-4 hockey to end the period. The Bulldogs blocked 10 shots and got 36 saves from Gascon, who ran her weekend total to 74 total stops.

NOTES ON THE OSU SERIES: UMD is now 73-32-9 all-time against the Buckeyes, including 3-7 in their last 10 meetings. The Bulldogs are also 10-11-2 in Columbus since November of 2013, and are averaging 2.57 goals a game since then.

--OSU outshot the Bulldogs 39-30, and 40-14 and 79-44 overall in the series, but it was UMD that outscored the Buckeyes in the series 6-4. The Bulldogs, who scored just two goals against OSU over six games the entire last season, put up the most goals against a Buckeye side since it had put up six on Dec. 2-3, 2022.

-Cailtin Kraemer had a team-high three points over the weekend (2g, 1a), but four other players put up two or more points, including Ida Karlsson (1g, 2a), Clara Van Wieren (1g, 1a), Olivia Wallin (1g, 1a) and Mary Kate O'Brien (2a).

--Kraemer's assist on UMD's first goal Sunday was the first points of her Bulldog career, while her first goal in the third period marked her first collegiate tally. Kraemer also had the first two-goal game of her young career and the first multiple point game of her career. Sunday's second goal in the third period also registered as the first game-winning goal of her career -- all firsts set against the then top-ranked team.

--Oilvia Mobley's assist Saturday also marked the first point of her UMD career.

--Saturday was UMD's earliest start date in program history (Sept. 21, 2024).

CHASING THE CENTURY MARK: Both graduate forwards Clara Van Wieren and Oliva Wallin are chasing the 100 career point plateau. Wallin, who skated for three seasons with Penn State, is sitting at 90 career points currently (44g, 46a in 123 games), while Van Wieren is at 87 (39g, 48a in137 games).

The pair are chasing Olivia Mobley, who currently has 113 career points (43g, 70a in 134 games).

UMD's last trio of 100 career point players? Ashton Bell, Naomi Rogge and Gabbie Hughes in 2022-23. The season before that (2021-22), Hughes joined Elizabeth Giguere and Anna Klein, another trio of Bulldogs in the club.. In all, UMD has had three or more players on a team with 100 or more points nine times prior to start of this season.

UMD has had 25 players wear the sweater that have had 100 or more points over their career, including 24 that accured that mark or more only as a Bulldog.