Minnesota women's programs open up a combined 8-0 to kickoff season

The puck has dropped on the college hockey season and it’s a pretty solid start for Minnesota schools. This is Minnesota’s College Hockey Scoreboard show, and just like the old version, this 2.0 version is more of the same - no breakdowns, no analysis, it’s JUST. THE. SCORES. The state’s national collegiate women’s hockey teams went a combined 8-0 on the opening weekend of women’s college hockey. Minnesota-Duluth womenSixth-ranked Minnesota Duluth opened its season with a two-game sweep at Mercyhurst in Erie, Pennsylvania. In Friday’s opener, the Bulldogs rallied from a 3–1 deficit to tie the game late on a power play before Caitlin Kraemer netted the overtime winner for a 4–3 victory. Kraemer finished with a goal and an assist, as did Stillwater native Josie St. Martin. Freshman Molly Cole scored her first career goal, and goaltender Eve Gascon made 15 saves. On Saturday, UMD scored four times in the second period on the way to a 5–3 win. Rae Mayer recorded her first collegiate goal, while Chanhassen native Grace Sadura, Thea Johansson, and Ida Karlsson also tallied in the frame. Johansson did so against her old team. Kraemer added her second of the weekend in the third period. Karlsson led the Bulldogs with a goal and an assist, and Gascon stopped 22 shots for her second win of the series. Across the weekend, nine different Bulldogs scored goals and 12 players recorded points. Minnesota State womenMinnesota State opened its 2025–26 season with a sweep at RPI in Troy, New York. On Friday, the Mavericks blanked the Engineers 3–0. Minnetonka’s Lauren Goldsworthy scored twice, including an empty-netter late in the third, while freshman Zoe Lopez, from Plymouth, added another empty-net goal. Goaltender Hailey Hansen of Blaine recorded the shutout in her first start of the year. Saturday’s rematch saw the Mavericks pull away in the third period for a 5–3 win. Lopez scored again and added an assist, freshman Lucie Tenenbaum netted her first career goal, and fellow rookie Mercury Bischoff of Cohasset scored for the first time as well. Prior Lake native Ava Guillemette also scored, while Hansen stopped 18 shots to secure the sweep. St. Cloud State womenNo. 13 St. Cloud State opened the Mira Jalosuo era with back-to-back 5–0 shutouts over Lindenwood in St. Cloud. In Friday’s opener, five different Huskies scored, including freshmen Julianne Labbé and Maria Mikaelyan with their first collegiate goals, while goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö stopped all 18 shots for the shutout. Alice Sauriol and Sofianna Sundelin each had a goal and an assist. On Saturday, the Huskies erupted for four first-period goals coming from Mikaelyan, Siiri Yrjölä, Payton Holloway, and Lindenwood transfer Sidney Jackel, with Svenja Voigt adding one more in the third. Yrjölä had a three-point game, Jackel posted a goal and assist, and goalie Jojo Chobak made 22 saves for her 10th career shutout. The sweep marked the fourth straight year St. Cloud has opened with a series win and the first time in program history starting a season with consecutive shutouts. St. Thomas womenSt. Thomas opened the 2025–26 season in Shelton, Connecticut, with a two-game sweep over Post, winning 7–0 and 6–1. In the first game, twelve different players recorded points. Rylee Bartz scored twice and added an assist, while Shoreview’s Cara Sajevic, Forest Lake’s Ellah Hause, Chloe Boreen, Duluth’s Ilsa Lindaman, and Keara Parker each scored their first goals of the season. Goaltender Julia Minotti recorded her first shutout with the Tommies. In the second game, St. Thomas outshot Post 55–15. Bartz and Boreen each scored twice, Minnetonka native Sadie Lindsay added a goal, and St. Paul freshman Josie Skoogman scored the first of her collegiate career. Edina freshman Whitney Horton recorded her first collegiate point with an assist. What’s coming up?No. 3 Minnesota hosts Boston College on Thursday and Friday at Ridder. No. 6 Minnesota Duluth makes the trip to Syracuse, also Thursday and Friday. St. Thomas goes on the road to face Lindenwood, No. 1 Wisconsin heads to Bemidji State, and No. 13 St. Cloud State travels east to take on No. 12 UConn — those three are all Friday-Saturday series. I’m Jason Bryant (@jasonmbryant). Leave a rating, review, or feedback at collegehockeyscoreboardpod.com. That’s Minnesota’s College Hockey Scoreboard Show for September 19–21, 2025.The Sota Pod is dedicated to covering anything & EVERYTHING when it comes to hockey or craft beer in the great state of Minnesota. The Sota Pod (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sota-pod/id1495602444YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesotapod