UMD hockey: Six Bulldogs still chasing medals at 2022 Olympics in Beijing

DULUTH — A member from the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey program is guaranteed a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

The question remains: Who that will be?

Five Bulldogs remain in the Olympic women’s hockey tournament, and the medals they play for will be decided during Monday’s semifinals when Ashton Bell, Jocelyne Larocque and Canada take on Lara Stalder and Switzerland, followed by Maddie Rooney and the United States battling Eveliina Makinen and Finland.

While played on Monday in Beijing, Canada and Switzerland will drop the puck at 10:10 p.m. Duluth time on Sunday night while the U.S. and Finland get underway at 7:10 a.m. Monday.

Bell is the only current Bulldogs still playing in Beijing after she and Canada eliminated senior goaltender Emma Soderberg and Sweden in the quarterfinals. Bell, a fifth-year defenseman, has a goal and four assists in five games in Beijing.

1/16: Lara Stalder of Switzerland in action with Valeria Merkusheva of the Russian Olympic Committee during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 12, 2022.

2/16: Lara Stalder of Switzerland in action with fellow former Minnesota Duluth Bulldog Alexandra Vafina of the Russian Olympic Committee during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 12, 2022.

3/16: Lara Stalder of Switzerland in action with Valeria Merkusheva of the Russian Olympic Committee during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 12, 2022.

4/16: Noah Cates of the United States in action with Danny Birken of Germany during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 13, 2022.

5/16: Noah Cates of the United States in action with Marcel Brandt of Germany and Dominik Kahun of Germany during the 2022 Olympics in Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 13, 2022.

6/16: Noah Cates of the United States in action with Eddie Pasquale of Canada and Maxim Noreau of Canada during the 2022 Olympics at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on February 12, 2022.

7/16: Ashton Bell of Canada in action with Dani Cameranesi of the United States during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 8, 2022.

8/16: Ashton Bell of Canada in action with Valeriia Pavlova of the Russian Olympic Committee and Jamie Lee Rattray of Canada during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 7, 2022.

9/16: 2022 Beijing Olympics - Ice Hockey - Preview - Wukesong Sports Centre, Beijing, China - February 2, 2022. Ashton Bell and Emma Maltais of Canada are seen during a team photo session. REUTERS/David W Cerny

10/16: Sara Hjalmarsson of Sweden in action with Jocelyne Larocque of Canada during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 11, 2022.

11/16: Ann-Renee Desbiens of Canada and Jocelyne Larocque of Canada in action with Hilary Knight of the United States during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 8, 2022.

12/16: Jocelyne Larocque of Canada in action with Valeriia Pavlova of the Russian Olympic Committee during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 7, 2022.

13/16: Jocelyne Larocque of Canada in action with Valeriia Pavlova of the Russian Olympic Committee during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 7, 2022.

14/16: Megan Bozek of the United States and Maddie Rooney of the United States during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 6, 2022.

15/16: Maddie Rooney of the United States in action during the 2022 Olympics at Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China on February 8, 2022.

16/16: Hannah Brandt (20), Megan Bozek (9) and Maddie Rooney (35) of United States celebrate beating Finland in their preliminary-round matchup of the 2022 Beijing Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, at the Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing, China.

Larocque, a defenseman who helped UMD win a national championship in 2010, has two assists and a plus-9 rating in five games with Canada. Stalder, the Swiss captain, leads all current and former Bulldogs in scoring in Beijing with three goals and three assists in six games.

Rooney, a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. team in 2018 in Pyeongchang, has started two of the Americans’ five games thus far, including the last meeting with Finland during the preliminary round — a 5-2 win — as well as the 4-2 preliminary round loss to Canada. Rooney has a .846 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average in her two starts.

Makinen has yet to play for Finland in the Winter Games.

The medal round for women’s hockey will take place Wednesday with the bronze medal game starting at 5:30 a.m. and the gold medal game at 10:10 p.m.

David W. Cerny / Reuters

The U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team beat Germany on Sunday to secure the No. 1 seed and a bye into the quarterfinals after going 3-0 in preliminary round play. The U.S. will play the winner of Germany vs. Slovakia at 10:10 p.m. Tuesday (Duluth time) in the quarterfinals.

Bulldogs senior captain Noah Cates is an alternate captain for Team USA. He has a goal and a plus-3 rating in three Olympic games.

Duluth native and former Bulldog Brett Larson, the current coach of St. Cloud State, is an assistant coach for Team USA.