In week one, the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women’s hockey team toppled then-top ranked Ohio State University in two tight matchups. Head coach Laura Schuler praised the Bulldogs for their resilience and ability to come back from behind in both games.

“One thing that I said was, ‘Hey, I’m totally fine with us being down a goal.’ Because if we’re going to win a national championship, then we need to know how to respond when we are down a goal. So, this is a huge opportunity for us, and I think our girls came out, they weren’t afraid. They came out very courageous, you know, and throttled down, and they took it to them,” said Schuler.

UMD freshman forward Caitlin Kraemer came out with a bang in her WCHA debut against the Buckeyes. In game two, she tallied one assist to tie the game at 1-1, then scored the final two goals of the game to give the Bulldogs the 4-3 victory.

“She’s a stud out there. I mean, she’s big, she’s strong, she’s powerful. She can hold somebody off with one arm and stick handle with the other, and make the next play whatever the next play is. We are so excited to have her be a part of this community and the program at UMD,” Schuler said.

“Yeah, it’s definitely an adjustment. Ohio had really great centers and I think the stats showed that. But we also talked a lot as the centers and me and Jenna [Lawry] were talking about like, ‘hey, what do you think this center is doing here and how can we do that?’ So, I guess it’s also great just having the centermens, like we’re like our own little team too,” Kraemer said.

No. 4 UMD now looks forward to a new opponent in Syracuse for the Bulldog’s home opener. The non-conference matchup will begin Saturday at 7PM at AMSOIL Arena and will continue to Sunday at 3PM. This marks the first time ever UMD and Syracuse women’s hockey will face-off.