Six University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players -- junior goaltender Eve Gascon, senior forward Thea Johansson, junior defenseman Ida Karlsson, graduate defenseman Ashley Messier, graduate forward Mary Kate O'Brien and senior defenseman Krista Parkkonen were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Women's At-Large teams. The award recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom, the CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Gascon currently owns a 3.89 cumulative GPA in Psychology and picks up her second CSC honor after earning a place on the 2024-25 CSC Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team. The Mascouche, Quebec product was a 2025-26 All-USCHO First Team selection, Second Team 2025-26 CCM/AHCA Women's Division I All-American, HCA National Women's Goalie of the Year Finalist and 2025-26 WCHA Goaltender of the Year and WCHA Goaltending Champion this past season. Gascon will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, Second- and Third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced July 7, 2026.
Johansson carried a 3.84 in an Interdisciplinary Study at UMD. The native of Ljungby, Sweden and 2026 Swedish Winter Olympian had a Bulldog team-high 17 goals last season.
Karlsson has posted a 3.83 cumulative GPA in Marketing and like Johansson, earned a spot on the 2026 Winter Olympian Team. A product of Avesta, Sweden, Karlsson is now a two-time honoree after earning a place on the 2024-25 CSC Academic All-District Team.
Messier earned a 3.87 while earning her Business Administration MBA at UMD. Hailing from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Messier was a 2024-25 AHCA/Krampade DIvision I All-American Scholar with Cornell one season ago.
O'Brien becomes a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection after she had a 3.79 GPA in Business Administration MBA program. The team captain and native of Wilbraham, Mass., a three-time AHCA Division I All-American Scholar, was the 2025-26 WCHA Outstanding Student Athlete of the Year.
Parkkonen had a 4.00 GPA in Communications at UMD. A native of Lappeenranta, Finland, Parkkonen was a 2024-25 AHCA/Krampade DIvision I All-American Scholar with Minnesota one season ago.
This is the second-straight season the UMD women's hockey team has had the maxium six CSC Academic All-District selections.
