After six games on the road, the No. 4/5 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will finally play it's first home game at AMSOIL Arena this Friday and Saturday when it hosts Minnesota State University, Manakato in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. Game one will get underway at 6:02 p.m. Friday before the series wraps up at 2:02 p.m. Saturday.


FRIDAY TAILGATE: UMD will host a tailgate before the first home game on Friday outside of entrance E on the cement pad that will get underway at 4:30 p.m. with free food courtesy of UMD Athletics and Stokke's Meats. Event will feature free giveaways, the UMD Pep Band and pictures with Champ.

Weekly Press Conference, October 15, 2025



 

HOME SWEET HOME: UMD will finally play its first game of the 2025-26 season at AMSOIL Arena this weekend after spending the first three series on the road.

It marks the second-straight season the Bulldogs have opened up six games on the road before coming home to AMSOIL.

UMD went 14-7-0 last season at home -- the most home wins by a Bulldog squad since they went 15-1-2 in 2016-17.

NEW BULLDOGS, BIG OFFENSE: 12 of UMD's 20 goals through their first six games have come from either transfers or rookies new to Duluth this season.

Thea Johansson (5) and Josie St. Martin (2) combined for seven goals, while freshman forward Molly Cole (3) and Rae Mayer (2) have added five.

Overall, the Bulldogs have put up the most goals through six games since 2022-23, where UMD also logged 20 tallies through six skates.

REAL GOAL GETTERS: Caitlin Kraemer and Thea Johansson currently lead the Bulldogs with five goals each through the first six games. 

Prior to Sunday, Kraemer had scored in her first five games, the longest goal scoring spree of her UMD career. Her five game, seven point string tied her second longest scoring streak of her college career.

Johansson is currently seventh among all active NCAA DI players in career goal totals with 56 goals. The senior notched goals in four of her last five games. 

JOHANSSON NEARS 100 CAREER POINTS: Senior forward Thea Johansson (who spent the first three years of her college career at Mercyhurst) inched closer to the 100 career mark after scoring a goal last Saturday against the Badgers. Johansson is now just one point away with 99 career points on 56 goals and 43 career assists.

NOT OUT OF THE BOX: The Bulldogs have struggled to stay out of the penalty box so far this season, a struggle that saw UMD tagged for the most penalties (11) and penalty minutes (33) on Sunday since 2011.

Currently, UMD ranks second in the NCAA   with an average of 13 penalty minutes a game. Overall, the Bulldogs have logged 78 minutes of infractions

THE SERIES: UMD enters the series with an 94-9-11 all-time record against the Mavericks, and it includes a 13-game unbeaten streak that dates back to Feb. 27, 2022.

Last season, UMD went 3-0-1-1 and outscored MSU 19-7. 

In their last series in February, the Bulldogs soundly swept the Mavericks by scores of 8-2 and 4-1. UMD swept Minnesota State last weekend at AMSOIL by scores of 8-2 and 4-1. In game one, led by an impactful power play, Clara Van Wieren's hat trick and five-point day (3g, 2a) and Olivia Wallin's six points (2g, 4a), the Bulldogs scored three goals in the first two periods to bury the Mavericks.

The Bulldogs scored a bevy of goals – four to be exact – in the first period over an 8:16 span of time. Six players had multiple point afternoons, led by Wallin (2g, 4a) and Van Wieren (3g, 2a), as well as Caitlin Kraemer's three point effort (two power play goals, 1a). Three defensemen added two assists – Nina Jobst-Smith, Hanna Baskin and Tova Henderson. 

Eve Gascon had a 23 save contest for UMD, while UMD was golden 4-of-5 on its power play. The Bulldogs outshot the Mavericks 29-25.

 In game two, UMD scored three of the four goals recorded in the first 9:21 of the frame, including a shorthanded tally from Olivia Mobley at 3:22. A 3-1 game after the first period, UMD tacked on a fourth empty net goal with 21 seconds left in the third for the 4-1 final.

Goaltender Tindra Holm earned the win  with  23-save performance for the Bulldogs. UMD outshot MSU 30-24 in the game but neither side was able to score on the power play – the Bulldogs went 0-of-3 while the Mavericks went 0-of-2.

Top UMD Scorers vs Minnesota State

Catilin Kraemer, 4 GP, 4-3=7

Mary Kate O'Brien 13 GP 5-2=7

Danielle Burgen 12 GP 2-2=4

Tova Henderson GP 12 1-3=4

UMD vs Minnesota State 

Last 10 games (8-0-2)

Last 10 games (8-0-2)

Feb. 15, 2025 4-1 Win Home

Feb. 14, 2025 8-2 Win Home

Nov. 2, 2024 3-3 Tie Away

Nov. 1, 2024 4-1 Win Away

Feb. 3, 2024 2-1 Win Home

Feb. 2, 2024 3-0 Win Home

Oct. 21, 2023 4-1 Win Away

Oct. 20, 2023 3-1 Win Away

Feb. 4, 2023 0-0 Tie Away

Feb. 3, 2023 4-3 Win OT Away

 

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs were swept by the top-ranked University of Wisconsin last weekend in Madison, Wis. Saturday, the Bulldogs surrendered the game late on the power play for the 4-3 setback. Sunday, UMD couldn't overcome 11 penalties for 33 minutes down a skater and fell 4-0 to the Badgers. 

Saturday's showdown started with the fourth-straight game UMD has logged a goal against the Badgers first, and Thea Johansson's fifth goal of the season was the lone goal of the first. But the Badgers struck twice in the second for the 2-1 lead, and it wasn't until 6:37 of the third period until Caitlin Kraemer would pull UMD even again. Freshman Molly Cole would put the Bulldogs ahead 3-2 midway through the period, but a five-minute major with less than three minutes left paved the way for two UW power play goals with less than 21 seconds left for the stunning Badger win.

UMD goaltender Eve Gascon had 45 stops in the game, while the Bulldogs were 0-of-4 on its power play.

Game two was all about Wisconsin's power play. Despite a 50 save effort from Gascon, the Badgers scored three power play goals on 34 power play shots to blow past the Bulldogs. UW again held UMD scoreless on five power play attempts.

NOTES ON THE WISCONSIN SERIES: All-time, Wisconsin is now 37-67-15 against UMD, and the Bulldogs are now winless in their last nine game against the Badgers.

--Of the eight goals Wisconsin scored in the series, five were on the power play. 

--UMD went 0-of-9 on their power play on the weekend, while the Badgers were 5-of-16 with an extra skater.

--While Caitlin Kraemer was held in check Sunday, the sophomore did strike on Saturday, tying her for the longest scoring streak of her collegiate career (five games). Kraemer netted goals in each of her first five games (a career-long goal scoring streak) and currently leads UMD with seven points. 

--Sunday's 50-save game for Eve Gascon was the second game of her career with 50 or more saves (her career high-is 58 set against Ohio State last season on Jan. 17) and her eighth career game with 44 or more saves. Ironically, the Bulldogs are 0-8 all-time when Gascon has made 44 or more saves in a game.