For just the third time in program history, the No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host No. 14 Minnesota State University, Mankato in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association First Round of the postseason. The best-of-three series will begin Friday afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. puck drop, with Saturday's skate scheduled to get underway at 1:00 p.m. If needed, game three would take place on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. start.



UMD WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE, February 25, 2026 -- Head coach Laura Schuler and junior defenseman Ida Karlsson



HATS OFF TO HOAGIE: A fixture on the UMD hockey bench for over four decades, Dale "Hoagie" Haagenson passed away last Tuesday at the age of 65. 

Friday, the UMD women's hockey team will honor Haagenson with a video tribute and moment of silence prior to the national anthem. 

JOHANSSON'S SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC DEBUT: Thea Johansson joined an elite crew of former Bulldog Olympians last week -- the senior forward scored four goals the Olympics, tying her for the tournament lead. Johansson's four goals make her just the fourth Bulldog Olympian to score four or more goals in a game. She joins U.S. legend Jenny Potter, (6 in 2010) and Swedish legends Maria Rooth (5 in 2006) and Pernilla Winger (5 in 2006).

With three assists, Johansson also averaged 1.00 points per game and finished seventh overall with seven points.

Junior defenseman Ida Karlsso also returns for her Olympic debut where she skated in all seven games, recorded an assist and had a +3 plus/minus rating.

Both are expected to suit up for UMD this weekend.

GASCON OWNS THE GOAL: The reigning WCHA Goaltender of the Week (again) and Hockey Commissioners Association National Goalie of the Year Watch Semifinalist for a third-straight season, and WCHA Goaltending champion Eve Gascon is on a goaltending tear.

Monday, the Mascouche, Quebec native earned her second-straight WCHA Goaltender of the Week honor and sixth of the season after she stonewalled Minnesota last weekend.

The junior goaltender posted the best saves percentage (.956), goals against average (1.44), recorded the most saves (65), and played the most minutes of all goaltender in the league, helping UMD sweep in two overtime games the No. 3 Gophers on the road. 

In February alone, Gascon is has allowed just five goals in six games for 0.82 goals against average, and her 177 saves in the month equates to a dominate .973 saves percentage. She also has three shutouts and has been unbeaten in all six games.

Gascon is tied for the second most shutouts in the NCAA and leads the WCHA, and is the first UMD goaltender in history to record seven or more shutouts in two different seasons. Gascon also has 20 career shutouts -- tying her for the second most in program history.

FANTASTIC FEBRUARY: Its not just Eve Gascon who has put up incredible numbers in February (0.82 GAA, 177 saves, .973 saves percentage, three shutouts). The Bulldogs, perfect in the month, are averaging 3.17 goals a game while holding their opponents to 0.83 -- despite barely outshooting foes 31.7 to 30.3.

UMD's power play has found its form -- the Bulldogs are 5-of-17 attempts for a 29.4 conversion rate and are 99.2 on their penalty kill (1-of-14). The Bulldogs have even scored two shorthanded goals over the month, and are averaging under their season average in penalties per game with just 2.67.

UMD has outscored other teams 7-1 in the second period despite just barely outshooting them at 75-71.

NOW THAT'S POWERED PLAY: UMD has scored a power play in five of its last six games 

UMD are 5-of-17 since Feb. 2 -- and freshman Rae Mayer and sophomore Josie St. Martin each have a team-high three power play goals so far this season.

600 CLUB: The Bulldogs won't just be looking to move on from the WCHA quarterfinals this weekend -- UMD as a program is now just two wins shy of reaching the 600 win club.

The Bulldogs enter the weekend with an all-time program record of 598-294-83.

NOT SO FRESH ANYMORE: UMD's rookie class finally was held scoress last Saturday by Minnesotae, breaking an eighth games streak that a freshman had logged at least a goal a game.  

All told, the freshman have scored 27 of the Bulldogs' 89 goals this season, including four game-winners. Rae Mayer leads the young pack with 12 goals.

SLOW STARTERS: UMD has scored just 20 of its 89 goals in the first period so far this season, but only allowed 20 against. 

By comparison, UMD has scored 37 goals in the third period while allowing 23.

UMD IN THE WCHA POSTSEASON: UMD is 51-27 in all WCHA postseason games and a dominant 38-10 in WCHA quarterfinal skates.

WCHA Quarterfinal games -- 38-10

WCHA Semifinal games -- 8-12

WCHA Third Place games -- 2-0

WCHA Championship games -- 5-3

In all, UMD owns five WCHA playoff crowns (2010, 2008, 2003, 2001, 2000).

Since the WCHA went to a quarterfinal game (2005) or series (since 2006), UMD has advanced 17-out-of-19 times.  From the 2005-06 season until present, the Bulldogs have hosted 16 of a possible 18 first round playoff series.  (The 2005 quarterfinal game was held in Minneapolis, Minn., a neutral site, and there was no WCHA first round playoffs held during the COVID season of 2020-21.)

UMD AND MSU IN THE POSTSEASON: The Bulldogs and Mavericks have met twice in the WCHA quarterfinals where UMD has a 5-1 advantage, and most recently met on Feb. 25-27, 2022. The Bulldogs took game one 5-3 but stumbled in game two 3-1. UMD won game three 3-2 and went on to make an NCAA Championship runner-up run.  

(Ironically, that loss to MSU in the quarterfinals also doubles as the last time UMD has falled to the Mavericks. Since the, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last 17 games against MSU.)

Prior to that, UMD swept the Mavericks on Feb. 25-26, 2011 3-0 and 5-0 -- the first postseason games ever played by the Bulldogs in AMSOIL Arena. 

THE SERIES: UMD is 95-9-12 all-time against the Mavericks and its 17-game unbeaten streak against MSU that dates back to Feb. 27, 2022. The Bulldogs went 3-0-1 this season and outscored MSU 12-1 in those four games. 

The Bulldogs buried the Mavericks, averaging 2.75 goals a game while holding them to just 0.25. UMD also averaged 36.5 shots a game while allowing just 21.7 from MSU.

Three players posted 1.00 points per game average against the Mavericks this season -- Caitlin Kramer (2g, 2a), Grace Sadura (1g, 3a) and Rae Mayer (1g, 3a). Eve Gascon had three shutouts and a 0.25 GAA with a .989 saves percentage. Kraemer also owns a 61-32 faceoff win stat line against the Mavericks this season.

Back on Jan. 23-24 of this year, UMD earned five points on the road in Mankato, Minn. with back-to-back shutouts over MSU. Friday night, the Bulldogs and Mavericks tied 0-0 through overtime before UMD won the shootout on Kraemer's shootout goal.

Saturday, UMD's Thea Johansson scored in the first and Zoey Krock and Danielle Burgen added goals in the second period en route to a 3-0 shutout with 24 saves from Gascon.

Top UMD Scorers vs Minnesota State

Catilin Kraemer, 8 GP, 6-5=11

Mary Kate O'Brien 17 GP 6-4=10

Grace Sadura 12 GP 2-6=8

Danielle Burgen 16 GP 2-3=5

Tova Henderson GP 16 1-5=6

Eve Gascon 7-0-1, 3 Shutouts,  6 GA

UMD vs Minnesota State 

Last 10 games (8-0-2)

Jan. 24, 2025 3-0 Win Away

Jan. 23, 2026 0-0 Tie OT SW Away

Oct. 18m 2025 3-1 Win Home

Oct. 17, 2025 5-0 Win Home

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

LAST TIME OUT: UMD swept then No. 3 Minnesota at Ridder Arena by scores of 3-2 and 2-1 in overtime behind two overtime game-winning goals from Tova Henderson.

On Friday, the Bulldogs got goals from Zoey Krock (9:39 of the first) and Madi Burr (7:24 of the second), but a goal from Minnesota at 10:30 of the third knotted the game up at 2-2. Hederson picked off pass and skated the length of the ice to score the game winner 3:19 into overtime. UMD was 0-of-5 on its power play, while Eve Gascon made 31 stops.  Minnesota just edged UMD 33-32 in shots on goal.

Saturday, Caitlin Kraemer scored a power play goal at 18:03 of the first period. The Gophers tied it 1-1 at 7:03 of the second period, but it was again Henderson, this time just 1:47 into extra time on another breakaway, sprung by Kraemer, who finished for her second game-winner of the series.  UMD was 1-of-2 on its power play, and outshot 35-26 in the game, but Gascon had 34 stops for the Bulldogs.

NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA SERIES: UMD is now 34-80-11 all-time against the Gophers and snapped a seven-game losing streak to Minnesota Friday night

--UMD pulled of its first series sweep over Minnesota since Jan. 13-14, 2017 in AMSOIL Arena ...  UMD has had back-to-back wins against the Gophers but not in a series since 2017 … the Bulldogs split both their series against Minnesota over the 2021-22 series, including back-to-back games on Oct. 9, 2021 and Dec. 10, 2021, but neither was a series sweep.

--The road sweep is the first since in Minneapolis since Nov. 3-4, 2005. 

--UMD's six-game winning streak is its second six-game winning streak of the season.