Dark Horses in Duluth
University of Minnesota-Duluth hockey seek a return to former glory
- After a 16 year title drought, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs have reason for optimism as the 2026 season gets underway.
- The other teams in their division have recently proved insurmountable for the Bulldogs. However roster turnover for their competitors and strong recruiting in Duluth has created a real opportunity to upend the status quo.
- The national championship game is slated to be played at the Bulldogs home stadium giving them added fuel throughout the season.
In 2001, the University of Minnesota-Duluth became the first national champions in Women’s Hockey. By 2010, they had won half the tournament's titles. The years that followed were a fallow period for the Bulldogs, as they watched other powerhouses match or surpass its early glory. Now, 16 years later, Minnesota-Duluth has an opportunity to reintroduce itself as a compelling dark-horse candidate to win it all.
Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin have historically dominated the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Minnesota has won six national titles but has been on a downturn since its dominant run in the 2010s, when it won four titles in the decade. The 2020s have given rise to Ohio State, coached by former Gopher all-time goal leader Nadine Muzzerall, which has won two national titles in the new decade with its physical style of play. Defending champs Wisconsin are the most successful team in Women’s hockey with nine National titles. They are ranked number 1 in most polls, but the consensus is up in the air.
Minnesota Duluth has won five national titles, but none in the last 15 years. The juggernauts in its division are facing major roster turnover, giving the Bulldogs a chance to capitalize on a wide-open race. With the Frozen Four taking place in the AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota, the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs could surprise the hockey world by walking into its home arena in March and winning its first National title in 16 years.
“Ultimately, that’s the goal; we want to play here at the end of the season, and it's the next step for us as a team,” said team captain Ida Karlsson. “It’s our time to be in it.”
Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota remain the top three on all major polls, so clearly the common sentiment is that nothing will change. However, each program lost critical parts of its prior success.
Wisconsin lost key players from its recent teams like Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms, and 2025 Patty Kazmaier winner Caroline Harvey. Minnesota lost Abbey Murphey, the Gophers’ new all-time goal-scoring leader. Ohio State retained Joy Dunne but lost its goaltender Hailey Macleod and captain Emma Peschel. If these programs have not gotten their transfer and recruitment strategy right, they could be vulnerable. If their newest recruits struggle under the weight of expectations, these teams could be vulnerable.
Minnesota-Duluth has fared a bit better heading into the new season. Despite losing leading goal scorer Thea Johansson, the core of this team has not just been retained, but improved
Last season’s leading point-getter, Caitlin Kraemer, has returned and picked up where she left off. She is also a top playmaker, leading the Bulldogs in assists last year. She will be expected to take over for Thea Johansson on the front line.
Behind her is a defense that has become the team’s identity under coach Laura Schuler. She described her team as a “gritty, blue-collar, well-disciplined and structured” unit that is also free to be creative on offense. That mentality is reflected in Minnesota Duluth’s dynamic defensive line led by returning Senior and team captain Ida Karlsson.
Coming off a season where she skated in all seven games for Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Karlsson now offers the Bulldogs a team leader with international experience.
“From the first time we watched her at the U-18 level, she was such a talent,” Coach Laura Schuler said at the WCHA media day.
As a more aggressive defender, Karlsson averaged more than a block per game last year and has started above that mark this year in non-conference play. As captain, she is also handling a massive influx of new arrivals that will be looking to contribute immediately, talent with a similar background to her own.
International talent has always been a feature of Minnesota-Duluth. This year’s recruitment class is no different. More than half of the 22 players on the roster are not from the United States.
“It's such a benefit for us to have all the different experiences and coming from different cultures and learning from each other,” said Ida Karlsson.
Tuuli Tallinen and Pauliina Salonen are two of the most talked-about imports for this Duluth team. They are both freshmen only by standing, and have been mainstays in Finland’s youth and senior setups for a while before taking their talents to Duluth.
Salonen was the third-highest scorer in Finland’s top division for women’s hockey, the Auroraliiga, last season. Tuuli Tallinen has been in the Finnish national team setup since 2022. Tuuli Taliinen, coach Schuler said: “She is so poised with the puck and confident on the ice.”
Their international experience also means they can and will play physical, according to Karlsson, despite their freshman status.
Taliinen will be joining an already strong blue line. Kate Kosobud, a transfer from Minnesota last year, skated in every game her first season for the Bulldogs. She showed flashes of her potential, winning WCHA Defenseman of the Week in February after a 4-point weekend against Bemidji State, where she also assisted Zoey Krock for a game-winning goal. She was named the
The top defensive line of Taliinen and Karlsson is set, but the depth behind them will be equally important. Renee Lapointe, a 17-year-old defender, comes into the season as the team’s wildcard.
“Her puck skills are absolutely incredible,” Coach Schuler said. “She sees the ice so well.”
Lapointe scored 50 points in 46 games in her final Ontario Women’s Hockey League season and is part of Team Canada’s youth setup. In WCHA play so far, she has played every game and logged her first assist against St. Thomas.
“Renee has been going from the start,” said Karlsson, “and you can see on the ice she is super skilled alongside all the other freshmen.”
Coach Schuler expects the experience around her on the blue line will help her develop further. With such a talented blue line, complete with accomplished veterans and skilled prospects, Minnesota-Duluth’s success will hinge on its defense.
The Bulldogs also possess one of the best shot stoppers in the country. With one more shutout, Eve Gascon can cement her place as the greatest goaltender in Bulldog history with the most career shutouts. She also won WCHA Goaltender of the Year in back-to-back seasons, finished last season with the second-most shutouts in the NCAA at 10, and saved nearly 1,000 pucks for a .942 save percentage.
Gascon might be the best goaltender in the NCAA and will be holding down maybe the best blue line she has had in her time in Duluth.
If Duluth is to achieve its lofty ambitions, it will need to do more than just stop goals; the Bulldogs will have to find the back of the net themselves from time to time. To that end, Caitin Kraemer, the first Bulldog to win HCA Rookie of the Year nationally, has continued her solid production, with five points in the first four games. She is also the all-time leading scorer for the Canada U-18s.
Kraemer’s step up to the number-one option is helped by the retention of Rae Mayer. Mayer was the team’s third-highest scorer as a freshman and has started this year with five points in six games. Last season’s Ohio State transfer Josie St. Martin rounds out the attacking core.
Despite its strengths, Minnesota-Duluth remains overlooked by evaluators next to its competition in the WCHA. The winning culture and top-quality offenses for teams like Ohio State and Wisconsin are undeniable. Ohio State also has a Patty Kazmaier Award favorite in Joy Dunne.
No matter how good Minnesota-Duluth's offense is, it will be defined by the defense. Defensive teams have not historically been rewarded in preseason polls. The additions to this roster, the development of returning players, and the leadership of established stars make Duluth a contender to upset preseason predictions.
With the Frozen Four being played at their stadium, all roads lead home for the Bulldogs. That means something to this team. It certainly does to Coach Schuler.
“We are driving to get there, believe me,” she said, talking about the upcoming finals at the AMSOIL Arena. For 16 years, Minnesota-Duluth has been biding its time, and with it all ending at AMSOIL and a team full of players prepared to slay giants, this could be their year.