Fans Show Up to Support UMD Women’s Hockey During National Championship Game

Watch parties were held across Duluth on Sunday including on UMD's campus and at Tavern on the Hill, bringing together hockey fans of all ages to cheer on the Bulldogs. 

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been 12 years since Bulldog country was able to support the UMD women’s hockey team in the national championship game. But that changed on Sunday and fans came out ready and excited to cheer on their team.

“Nothing feels better than watching our women who people didn’t think they were going to make it this far, come all the way to the national championship,” director of the UMD Kirby Center Jeni Eltink said.

“Duluth has always had a good community for women’s hockey and seeing it here in the flesh is really cool,” UMD grad student Anna Matzdorff added.

Watch parties were held across Duluth on Sunday including on UMD’s campus and at Tavern on the Hill, bringing together hockey fans of all ages.

“We wanted to give a chance for anyone who wanted to join us to just come, be together, eat some popcorn, have some candy and celebrate our Bulldogs,” Eltink said.

“Seeing the support here and seeing people coming out to cheer them on is just amazing and the shows kind of the growth. When they scored that goal, seeing everyone kind of erupt and cheer was really special especially knowing how much this team has grown the past couple of years,” Matzdorff added.

After the women made their return to the Frozen Four last season, the buzz around the team has continued to climb.

“It’s really cool to see in my timeframe here at UMD to be able to watch not just one team try to win a national championship and win it but another team, too,” UMD senior Stephen Sopek said.

“Honestly, the women’s team has been overlooked for a couple of years now. They have a lot of depth and they’ve done a lot of awesome things the last couple of years. It’s just really special and I truly don’t think any other group deserves this more,” Matzdorff added.

And Sunday just proved once again how much Duluth loves their hockey.

“UMD and Duluth is unlike any other place I’ve ever been, we do love our hockey. I hope they know the whole community is behind them, that we are cheering for them like crazy,” Eltink said.

“I think it’s so special to be able to know that our bloodline runs so deep here and the community support has definitely helped them get to where they are. I want them to be able to come back feeling proud no matter what happens,” Matzdorff added.