The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women’s hockey team opens their 2024-2025 season on Saturday. They’re diving right in paying defending national champions Ohio State University a visit. This will also mark Laura Schuler’s debut as the third head coach of the Bulldogs.

“Pressure is power, right? So there’s no time to second guess. It’s just like, here it is, let’s go. As long as everybody’s coming to the rink, their focus, their attention to detail is there, you can get a lot done. So I feel like the girls have really done that. There’s no wading through the water, they have dove in completely and they’re ready to go,” Schuler said.

Immediately UMD will be met at Ohio State by a familiar face in former UMD goalie, now Buckeye transfer, Hailey MacLeod. In her absence the Bulldogs have brought in Sweden’s Tindra Holm, a senior transfer from Long Island University, to pair with sophomore goalie Eve Gascon.

“Being two goalies, like yes, I’m not going to see as many games as I maybe did at my old school. But I think I’m going to develop way more just because we’re going to compete in practice, make decisions hard for coaches,” Holm said.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Tindra and I was just so excited to see her,” Gascon said. “I think it’s good to have two goalies that can play. I think it’s better for the long run too as a team, and the playoffs, like you have all your energy. And having this competition only brings the best for the team.”

Coach Schuler added that they’re happy to have another double threat between the pipes for this season.

No. 7 UMD’s season opener this Saturday, September 21 marks the earliest in program history. Puck drop is 2 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio, which game two against the No. 1 Buckeyes set for Sunday at noon.