The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host its final Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season home series this weekend when it welcomes the University of St. Thomas to AMSOIL Arena. The Bulldogs, who will celebrate their seniors postgame Saturday, will drop the puck on the series Friday night at 6:02 p.m.. Saturday's skate gets underway at 3:00 p.m.


UMD Women's Hockey Weekly Press Conference -- Head coach Laura Schuler and junior goaltender Eve Gascon --



KARLSSON AND JOHANSSON WITH SWEDISH OLYMPIC TEAM: Ida Karlsson and Thea Johansson began their absence from the UMD team last weekend as two current and two former women's hockey players who were named to Sweden's 2026 Winter Olympic roster. Johansson and Karlsson joined former goaltenders Tindra Holm former and All-American Emma Soderberg -- Soderberg is a repeat Olympian after also leaving midseason in 2022 to represent her country.

The group has been called up to national duty for all of 2025, but the Olympic nod is a first for Karlsson, Johansson and Holm. The trio will runs UMD's all-time Olympians to 44.

Through eight games, Johansson leads all Olympic skaters with four goals, and ranks third overall with six points in four games. Johansson, averaging a 1.00 goals per game average, also has a plus/minus rating of +5, tied for the fifth-highest. Karlson has also skated in all four games, logging an assist and owns a +3 rating.

In all, UMD has eight current or former players suiting up in the Olympics this week, and four former players who as now coaches. No program in the history of women's Division I NCAA hockey has had more Winter Olympians than UMD.  The Bulldogs as a program have sent 44 current or former players to skate on women's hockey biggest stage.

As a program, UMD has never had fewer than eight current or former players skating in the Olympics since the 2002 Olympics.  The Bulldogs had a program-high of 16 in 2006 and a whopping 15 in 2010.  The 2026 Winter Olympics have once again followed that UMD script, with eight current and former players currently on the ground in Milano Cortina, competing for their respective countries.

NO GOALS GASCON: One day after being named named a Hockey Commissioners Association National Goalie of the Year Watch Semifinalist for a third-straight season, Eve Gascon earned her seventh shutout of the season last Saturday against Bemidji State.

Gascon earned her seventh shutout of the season against the Beavers in UMD's 5-0 win, making her the first Bulldog goaltender ever to have two seasons with seven or more shutouts over a UMD career. With 18 career shutouts, Gascon also took over sole possession of the third most career shutouts in program history.

Currently, Gascon is tied for the third most shutouts in all of the NCAA, and among all active NCAA goaltenders, owns the sixth most career clean sheets.

KRAEMER FACES OFF: No player in the WCHA and just one in all of the NCAA (who has also played in four more games) has more faceoffs wins so far this season than top-line center Caitlin Kramer. The sophomore leads the WCHA with 417 wins and an overall record of 417-324 for a total of 741 draws. 

Kraemer has been dominate over the past nine games for UMD, outdrawing opponents 161-97 over that span. In her last Saturday's skate against BSU, Kraemer went 17-9 from the dot.

Last season Kraemer ranked third in the WCHA after winning 455 faceoffs out of 833 for a .546 win percentage. UMD has had impactful faceoff winners before, including Mannon McMahon, who led the WCHA with 522 wins out of 922 in 2023-24 and Gabbie Hughes, who had the second most wins for two seasons in row (2022-23 and 2021-22).

Notably, Kraemer will draw off against the Tommies Rylee Bartz, who ranks eighth in the NCAA with 356 wins and an overall record of 356-250.

SLOW STARTERS: UMD has scored just 17 of its 78 goals in the first period so far this season, but only allowed 19 against. The Bulldogs have been knotted up after 20 minutes in 10 games -- their record is 6-4-1 in those skates.

By comparison, UMD has scored 34 goals in the third period while allowing 22.

THE SERIES: It's a young rivalry -- UST only joined the WCHA ahead of the 2021-22 season. In 18 all-time meetings, UMD owns a 15-2-1 advantage and suffered the first losses and series sweep against the Tommies just last season. 

In their 18 clashes, the Bulldogs are averaging 3.89 goals a game against UST, and six of their 15 wins against the Tommies have been shutouts. UMD is unbeaten at AMSOIL against UST with a record of 7-0-1, and all-time has outscored the Tommies 70-18 over their 18 meetings. 

UMD vs UST, last 10 games (8-2-0)

Nov. 15, 2025 4-2 Win Away

Nov. 14, 2025 3-1 Win Away

Jan. 24, 2025 3-4 Loss Away

Jan. 23, 2025 2-3 Loss Away

Oct. 19, 2024 2-0 Win Home

Oct. 18, 2024 3-0 Win Home

Feb. 10, 2024 5-1 Win Away

Feb. 9, 2024 4-1 Win Away

Nov. 4, 2023 4-0 Win Home

Nov. 3, 2023 3-1 Win Home

Top-3 Returning Scorers vs UST

Mary Kate O'Brien 15 GP, 3g, 3a, 6 points

Grace Sadura 10 GP 2g, 3a, 5 points

Danielle Burgen 14 GP 2g, 2a, 4 points

Tova Henderson 14 GP, 4a

Eve Gason, Record 5-2-0, 2 Shutouts

In their series in November, the Bulldogs gave up the second most goals to a UST team in program history -- three -- all power play goals. UMD swept the No. 15 University of St. Thomas in St. Paul by scores of 3-1 and 4-2 over the past weekend. 

It marked the highest national rankings the Tommies have ever held at the time of a UMD game, but it was no matter for the Bulldogs, who needed just 78 seconds apart in the second period of game one to build a quick 2-0 lead. Defenseman Tova Henderson got the scoring going, and Grace Sadura finished off an odd man rush with Molly Cole two extend UMD's lead to 2-0 at the 7:10 mark.

The Tommies finally got on the board midway through the third period on a power play goal but the Bulldogs Caitlin Kraemer answered just over two minutes later to move UMD up 3-1.

Eve Gascon had 33 saves for the Bulldogs, who were outshot by UST 34-30. 

In game two, UMD made its debut Saturday afternoon inside the Lee & Peggy Anderson Arena with a 4-2 win. UMD doubled up on the Tommies midway the first period, and after three power plays over six minute span, Ida Karlsson finally helped the Bulldogs take advantage of the extra skater with a goal from the high slot for the 1-0 lead at 13:03. 

Just 32 seconds later, Sadura scored her second goal of the series bolstered UMD's lead to 2-0. UST used its red-hot power play to cut its deficit in half at the 17:18 mark, but the Bulldogs were only halfway to their goal total after 20 minutes.

UMD opened the second period with a goal from Madi Burr -- the first of her college career -- 1:02 into the frame. The Tommies struck on the power play on a goal from Ellah Hause 52 seconds into play. But despite outshooting UMD 12-6 in the final 20 minutes, UST couldn't solve Gascon at even strength. The Tommies made a final push with 2:40 left in the game with an empty net, but the Bulldogs dashed any chance of a UST comeback when Mary Kate O'Brien cleared the puck off the boards from above UMD's crease and banked it into the empty Tommies goal with two minutes left to seal the 4-2 win.

Gascon was again fantastic in net for the Bulldogs, posting 35 saves Saturday to pair with her 33 from Friday for a grand total of 68 in the series. UST heavily outshot the Bulldogs 37-26 in the game – a feat the Tommies pulled off both nights. UST also went 2-of-5 on its power play, while UMD went 1-of-5.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD earned its second series sweep of the season last week against Bemidji State by scores of 3-2 and 5-0.

Friday night, BSU scored first, but the Bulldog Caitlin Kraemer scored minutes later on the power play to pull even at 7:10. Molly Cole put UMD up 2-1 late in the second period, but equalized with an extra skater at 5:56 of the third. 

WIth 2:15 left in regulation, Zoey Krock banged in a rebound from Kate Kosobud to seal game one for the Bulldogs. Eve Gascon made 29 saves, and UMD outshot the Beavers 38-31.

UMD blew open Saturday's skate with three goals in the second period, including a shorthanded goal from Danielle Burgen and a power play goal by Madi Burr, one of her two goals in the frame. 

Kraemer kicked off the scoring at 13:06 of the first period, her second goal of the series, while Kate Kosobud wrapped it up at 13:56 of the third period.

Gascon earned her seventh shutout of the season behind 26 saves. UMD outshot BSU 33-26 in the skate.

NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE SERIES: UMD has now has 100 program wins against the Beavers, the first program the Bulldogs have hit that mark against. UMD is 100-22-1 all-time against the BSU, 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, and eight of their last 11.

--The Bulldogs scored power play goals in back-to-back games for just the second time this season against the Beavers, and in both games of a series for the first time in 2025-26. UMD is 6-2-0 when it scores on its power play.

--Sophomore defenseman Kate Kosobud had a banner weekend for the Bulldogs, and earned the WCHA Defender of the Week after her WCHA-high four points weekend (1g, 3a).

NOT SO SWEET HOME: UMD had a travel heavy first half to the season, and has played just 12 games out of a possible 30 in Duluth. But AMSOIL hasn't been entirely friendly to the Bulldogs -- UMD has been just 4-6-2 so far in its home rink while it has been 11-4-1 on the road.

Notably, every home game the Bulldogs have played has been against nationally ranked teams, and six of the eight games has come against top-3 teams.

Only twice in UMD program history has a team finished the season with a losing record at home -- over the 2012-13 season (7-8-3) and again in 2015-16 (5-10-1).