Two current and two former University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players were named to Sweden's 2026 Winter Olympic roster officially Monday -- junior defenseman Ida Karlsson, senior forward Thea Johansson, and former goaltenders Tindra former and All-American Emma Soderberg.

The group has been called up to national duty for all of 2025, but the Olympic nod will be a first for Karlsson, Johansson and Holm. The trio will run UMD's all-time Olympians to 45.

Karlsson, a native of Avesta, Sweden, has blossomed at UMD. Currently in her third season, she leads all UMD defenseman with eight points and has tied her career-best for goals in a season with three so far. Karlsson has a one game-winning goal, a power play goal and a shorthanded goal to pair with 30 blocks through 22 games. Karlsson is nearing 30 career points as a Bulldog at 28 (7g, 21a).

Johansson ranks second in scoring for the Bulldogs with 19 on a team-high 13 goals. The Ljungby, Sweden product has a +7, tied for best among all Bulldogs and has over 113 career points over her collegiate career so far, with 64 of her points goals.

Holm has played her way on the Olympic team after joining the Bulldogs last season with success. In nine games last season, the native of Skellefteå, Sweden posted a 1.33 goals against average and a .932 saves percentage. Holm went 7-1-1 as a Bulldog starter with four shutouts. Currently, Holm is in net for MoDo Hockey of the SDHL where she has a 1.90 GAA and .931 saves percentage in 21 games.

Soderberg returns as Sweden's starter after an outstanding 2022 Olympic debut. The Jarved, Sweden native not only was one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA over her career, but emerged as arguably the best netminder in the world. As UMD's backstopper in 2022-23, she set both a UMD career record for shutouts (23) and a single-season record (12). A 2022-23 All-USCHO First Team All-American, and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Goaltender of the Year, WCHA Finalist for Player of the Year, she was also a top-3 finalist for National Goalie of the Year, 

In all, Soderberg was also a AHCA Second Team All-American in 2021, as well as the 2020-21 WCHA Goaltender of the Year, the WCHA Goaltending Champion and a All-WCHA First Team honoree. Soderberg – who missed 11 games due to Swedish Olympic duties over the 2021-22 season, effectively holding her out of awards that year – ended her career with the fifth-most NCAA Tournament career wins in program history (five). In 2022, she set the NCAA Tournament record for saves (146) while helping the Bulldogs earn NCAA runner-up status, and ended her career perfect in NCAA Tournament opening games with a 3-0, 0.00 GAA after not allowing a single goal in those skates. In fact, in five career NCAA Regional/Quarterfinal games, Soderberg allowed just four goals. Soderberg also has the second highest saves percentage ever in career NCAA Tournament games (.965), the fourth lowest GAA (1.34) and sixth most saves (220).
 
Soderberg's mark on the UMD record book stretches past career and single-season shutouts -- the netminder left the Bulldogs with the third-highest save percentage in history (.934), fifth-lowest GAA (1.68), sixth most wins (54-26-2) and ended her final season (2022-23) with a 1.39 goals against average -- the third lowest in program history.

The four current and former Bulldogs on the Swedish Olympic Team ties a program record of UMD players on a single Swedish Olympic Team roster. The Bulldog program has long had ties to the Swedish Olympic Team -- a program-high 14 UMD players has suited up for Sweden in the Olympics, including multiple players who have skated multiple times. Four players -- All-American Kim Martin, All-American forwards Maria Rooth and Erika Holst and All-WCHA forward Pernillia Winberg were four-time Olympians for Sweden.