Off since December 7, the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women’s hockey team gets back to the game grind this Thursday. The Bulldogs enter the second half of their season sitting 11-5-2 overall, with an 8-4-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) record, a number four national ranking, and a six game unbeaten streak.

Plus, head coach Laura Schuler said everyone has returned healthy.

“We’ve had a great week since everyone has gotten back. So our travel, we got back I think on the 27th, and then did a couple of double sessions on the ice over the weekend. Our team’s looking really good right now. So we were able to do some game simulations as well, which I love,” Schuler said.

“I think everybody got the necessary rest, and getting to visit their family and friends at home I think just re-energized everyone. And like Coach Schu (sic) said, everyone’s really excited to be back. And we have that energy out on the ice, you can feel it in our practices. That just makes the fact that we’re playing tomorrow that much more exciting,” fifth-year defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith said.

UMD will open 2025 hosting Syracuse University, in a series that was postponed from week two due to travel issues for the Orange. The puck drops Thursday at 2 p.m. and Friday at 3 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena.