The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host St. Thomas University at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. this weekend in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night before concluding at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.


GASCON AND KRAEMER GO CAMPING: Two notable Bulldogs will be missing from the WCHA opener at AMSOIL this weekend -- senior goaltender Eve Gascon and junior center Caitlin Kraemer. The duo will join former Bulldog All-American defenseman Ashton Bell and Jocelyne Larocque and assistant coach Caroline Ouellette for the 2026-27 Canadian National Women's Team Training Camp Roster, presented by BFL CANADA next week in Quebec, QC from Wednesday through October 14. 

In all, 48 players were invited to camp, including six goaltenders, 16 defenders and 26 forwards. The players will be split into Red and White teams for practices, fitness testing and a pair of intrasquad games on Oct. 12 and 14 at the Centre Vidéotron. 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.

LAURA SCHULER GETS 100 CAREER WINS: Bulldog bench boss Laura Schuler earned her 100th career NCAA Division I win last weekend on Saturday in Burlington.

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), 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 third in the NCAA for goals (4), leads in game-winning goals (2), and ranks seventh in faceoffs with a 73.3 win percentage. Kraemer's faceoffs have been outstanding so far -- the junior center is 74-27.

MEET MARILOU: Freshman Marilou Grenier, who began her Bulldog career last weekend in Burlington, will get her first WCHA action this weekend at AMSOIL Arena.  Like Eve Gascon, who will be at Team Canada camp, Grenier hails from Quebec and backstopped Canada to a U-18 Women's World Championship gold medal in January of 2025. 

EVE GASCON IS A NEW 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: It's a young rivalry -- UST only joined the WCHA ahead of the 2021-22 season, and since then, UMD owns a 17-2-1 record, including a 4-0-0 record against the Tommies last season. 

The Bulldogs are averaging 3.8 goals a game against UST, and eight of their 17 wins against the Tommies have been shutouts, including their last two skates in February. UMD is unbeaten at AMSOIL against UST with a record of 9-0-1, and

all-time has outscored the Tommies 76-18 over their 20 meetings. 

In their last meetings in mid-February, UMD shutout St. Thomas over an entire series last weekend at AMSOIL by scores of 3-0 on both Friday and Saturday.

Special teams led the way Friday night, with a power play goal by Mary Kate O'Brien 5:53 into the second period and a shorthanded breakaway by Caitlin Kraemer at 2:50. Madi Burr sealed the 3-0 win with an empty netter with 1:49 left in the third. Eve Gascon had 24 saves, UMD outshot the Tommies 35-24. 

Saturday, despite being outshot 33-23 by UST, UMD earned a 3-0 shutout behind 33 saves from Gascon. Molly Cole gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 5:09 into the first period, and Josie St. Martin added a power play goal at 16:40 of the second to double that. Zoey Krock made it a 3-0 game with 39 seconds left in the third to lock down the sweep.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, losing 3-0 Friday morning before bouncing back for a 3-2 win in overtime Saturday afternoon.

Friday, the Catamounts ruined the collegiate debut of freshman goaltender Marilou Grenier, netting three goals, including a power play goal, against the rookie. UMD outshot UVM 36-27, and Caitlin Kraemer had a game-high nine, but the Bulldogs were unable to get on the board.

Saturday, the Bulldogs came back twice before a Josie St. Martin goal in overtime sealed the 3-2 win. St. Martin scored UMD's first and third goal, while Kraemer had the game-time tally early in the third. 

The Bulldogs outshot UVM 28-24, and Eve Gascon earned her third win of the season on 22 saves.

NOTES FROM THE UVM SERIES:  UMD is now 4-1-0 all-time against Vermont.

--Caitlain Kraemer now has seven career points (4g, 3a) against the Catamounts in four career meetings. Eve Gascon is undefeated against UVM with a 2-0-0 record.

--UMD as a program is now 28-9-4 all-time against members of Hockey East.