The No. 11/12 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will take its show on the road this weekend when it faces Bemidji State University in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. The Friday-Saturday series will take place inside the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn. and get underway at 6:00 p.m. and wrap up at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Weekly Press Conference, October 15, 2026 --  Head Coach Laura Schuler and Marilou Grenier




GASCON AND KRAEMER RETURN FROM CAMP: After missing UMD's WCHA opener at AMSOIL this weekend -- senior goaltender Eve Gascon and junior center Caitlin Kraemer will return from Team Canada Camp Thursday and join the team. 

In all, 48 players were invited to camp, including former Bulldog All-American defenseman Ashton Bell and Jocelyne Larocque and assistant coach Caroline Ouellette. Following camp, a roster will be selected for the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship, starting Nov. 6 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark, as well as pre-tournament games in Windsor, Ontario, and Plymouth, Michigan, on Oct. 28 and 30, respectively.

SHUT IT DOWN: The Bulldogs currently lead the NCAA with three team shutouts (two from Eve Gascon and one from Marilou Grenier), and rank third in the country with a goals against average of 1.17. Gascon's two clean sheets also puts her in a tie for the most in the NCAA.

The Bulldogs defense also ranks owns the eighth best penalty kill in the NCAA and tops in the WCHA with a 92.3 kill rate. UMD's opponents have scored just once in 13 power play attempts so far this season.

LEADING THE WAY: Both Eve Gascon and Caitlin Kraemer are sitting at the top or near the top of the NCAA in a number of catergories. 

Gascon has the lowest GAA (0.66) among anyone who has played more than two games, second highest saves percentage (.971) and most shutouts and is tied for the most wins (3) of any goaltender that has played three or more games so far this season.

Kraemer is tied for second in game-winning goals (2), and ranks second in faceoffs with a 73.3 win percentage among players with two or more games. Kraemer's faceoffs have been outstanding so far -- the junior center is 74-27.

MEET MARILOU: Freshman goaltender Marliou Grenier was named the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week Monday after her 58-save and first win and shutout against the University of St. Thomas over the weekend.

The Quebec City, Quebec native led the league with a .967 saves percentage, 1.01 goals against average and total saves (58).  Grenier recorded her first win on a 3-0 shutout Saturday with 24 saves and the rookie made a career-high 34 saves Friday night in just her third start as a Bulldog.

The WCHA honor is the first of the young goaltender's career, and the second for UMD already this season. Senior goaltender Eve Gascon earned the award on Sept. 28.

EVE GASCON IS A RECORD HOLDER: Senior goaltender Eve Gascon is tied with Emma Soderberg for the most shutouts by a UMD goaltender in program history. Soderberg reached the mark in 87 career games -- Gascon is sitting right behind the former Swedish Olympian with 88 games total and counting. 

Gascon had a monster opening weekend for the Bulldogs, making all 44 saves on the 44 shots she faced against then No. 14/15 Mercyhurst. It was also the fifth series that Gascon has held an opponent scoreless over her UMD career. The alternate captain was named the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week for her stellar efforts.

THE SERIES: UMD is 100-22-1 all-time against the Beavers, and currently owns dominant 21-game winning streak against the Beavers that dates back to Jan. 23, 2021, which includes 13 shutouts. Seven of UMD's last 10 games against BSU have been shutouts, including their last game on Feb. 7 (5-0).

UMD's outscored BSU 35-3 over those last 10 games and the Bulldogs shutout the Beavers in two of their four meetings last season and outscored the Beavers 16-3.

No UMD player currently rostered has ever lost to BSU over their collegiate career.

UMD swept the Beavers in their last head-to-head series at AMSOIL on Feb. 6-7 by scores of 3-2 and 5-0.

Over the 2025-26 seasons, Caitlin Kraemer led all players with six points in four games on two goals and four asssits, while Kate Kosobud had five points in those same four games -- one goal and four helpers.

Eve Gascon had two shutouts against BSU last season, a 0.75 GAA and .972 saves percentage.

UMD vs BSU - Last 10 games (10-0-0)

Dec. 6, 2025 4-0 Win Away

Dec. 5, 2025 4-1 Win Away

Feb. 8, 2025 6-0 Win Away

Feb. 7, 2025 2-0 Win Away

Nov. 23, 2024 2-0 Win Home

Nov. 22, 2024 8-1 Win Home

Jan. 13, 2024 7-0 Win Home

Jan. 12, 2024 2-0 Win Home

Oct. 29, 2023 6-0 Win Away

Oct. 28, 2023 2-1 Win Away

Notable careers against the Beavers --

Caitlin Kraemer, GP=8 G-5 A-4 P=9

Eve Gascon career against BSU - four shutouts in six games.

BSU is 1-3 so far this season, but all three Beaver loses have come against the No. 3 University of Minnesota, including a 2-4 loss Sunday in Minneapolis.

Sophomore goaltender Sophia Villanueva has started every game for the Beavers, and owns a 3.52 GAA and .903 saves percentage. Villanueva played her freshman season for the Bulldogs, playing in five games and starting in three. She went 2-1-0 and had a 2.60 GAA and .917 saves percentage in net.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with the University of of St. Thomas to open WCHA play last weekend at AMSOIL by socres of 2-1 and 3-0.

In game one, Edit Danielsson had UMD's lone goal in the first period, but the Tommies scored in the second and then with under a minute left in the third to upset the Bulldogs 2-1. Marilou Grenier had 34 saves in the loss -- her second collegiate start. UST outshot the Bulldogs 36-17.

The Bulldogs got scoring from Molly Cole in the second period Saturday, and two empty net taliies from Rae Mayer and Josie St. Martin in the third period. The Tommies edged UMD in SOG 24-23, and Grenier had 24 stops for the Bulldogs.

NOTES FROM THE UST SERIES:  UMD is now 18-3-1 all-time against the Tommies and have shutout them out in three of their last four games.

--UST outshot the Bulldogs 60-40 in the series, the first team to do that since Minnesota did it on Feb. 20-21 -- as series UMD swept.

--UMD has averaged 3.64 goals against UST all-time.