Bulldog Insider – Details, episodes & analysis

Season 8 of Bulldog Insider begins with episode 1 premiering Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. In the premiere episode, co-hosts Matt Wellens and Zach Schneider are joined by KDAL's Bruce Ciskie to talk about their thoughts heading into the 2025-26' UMD men and women's hockey season.

You'll be able to catch new episodes almost every Thursday throughout the UMD hockey season.

Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Matt Wellens and Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producer Wyatt Buckner. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com and more episodes of Bulldog Insider wherever you listen to podcast.

The 'Insiders' answer your questions about the 2024-25 season and the future of the UMD men's and women's hockey programs in Part II of the two-part Season 7 finale of the Bulldog Insider Podcast.

Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Matt Wellens and Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producer Wyatt Buckner. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com and more episodes of Bulldog Insider wherever you listen to podcasts.

Former Husky Joe Molenaar is just what UMD was looking for with 11 freshmen on the roster this season. The Bulldogs are exactly what Molenaar was looking for at this point in hockey career and life.

Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Matt Wellens and Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producer Wyatt Buckner. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com and more episodes of Bulldog Insider wherever you listen to podcasts.

0:00 Intro

0:49 Transferring to a young team

4:28 Leadership role at UMD

7:06 Coach Scott Sandelin vs Brett Larson

10:52 Journey to UMD

15:08 NCAA 5th year rule

19:51 Listener questions

24:25 Quick hits

35:47 Outro

Back from Olympic qualifying and back in the U.S., News Tribune hockey reporter Matt Wellens caught up with senior goaltender Emma Soderberg about being a part of the team that helped Sweden clinch a spot in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

While not officially making the Team Sweden’s Olympic roster yet, Soderberg talks about how it’s been a dream of hers to make an Olympic team. She also talks about how the UMD coaching staff played a role in getting her to be an Olympic-caliber athlete.

My9’s Zach Schneider and KDAL’s Bruce Ciskie also join this week’s episode to discuss the great week Bulldog hockey alumni are having both qualifying for the Olympics and making NHL debuts. The trio also hands out some more first month awards to the women’s team now that they are returning to action this weekend, traveling to Bemidji State following a three-week layoff.

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

In Minnesota Duluth’s first NCHC series, junior goaltender Ryan Fanti recorded a career-high 35 saves and came away with his first college shutout in Saturday's 3-0 win at Western Michigan.

In this week's episode of the Bulldog Insider podcast, News Tribune hockey reporter Matt Wellens, caught up with Fanti to talk about what it’s like to finally have a shutout in the books and what it means to have his Thunder Bay family and friends in the stands this weekend at Amsoil Arena now that the Canadian border is open.

My9’s Zach Schneider and KDAL’s Bruce Ciskie also join this week’s episode for a deeper dive into Bulldog goalies and because women’s Olympic qualifying is underway, some more questionable predictions are made.

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

With a bye weekend, UMD senior forward Tanner Laderoute and his teammates embraced the Halloween holiday. It is back to business for the Bulldogs this weekend as they'll travel to Western Michigan to begin NCHC play with games Friday and Saturday. For the UMD women's team, their next games aren't until November 19 and 20 at Bemidji State.

In this week's episode of the Bulldog Insider podcast, News Tribune hockey reporter Matt Wellens, My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider and KDAL radio voice of Bulldog hockey Bruce Ciskie name their "first month award" winners.

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

UMD hockey teams went 4-0 last weekend as the men's team swept Minnesota in a home-and-home series and the women's team swept St. Thomas in St. Paul. A rare quiet weekend awaits as no Bulldogs hockey teams will be in action.

Maura Crowell has plenty to keep her busy beyond preparing for the next opponent. The Bulldog Insider Podcast catches up with UMD women's head coach, who became a parent during the summer to a daughter named Blake.  Coach Crowell talks about becoming a mother, but also discusses the season so far as well as the Olympic qualifying that will take place Nov. 11-14 in Europe.  

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

After a busy weekend at Amsoil Arena with six college hockey games including the Ice Breaker Tournament, there will just be one UMD game in Duluth this weekend. But it's a game with a lot of interest and anticipation!

The UMD men's team has a home-and-home series with the Minnesota Gophers. The Bulldogs play at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis on Friday and turn around and host the Gophers at Amsoil Arena on Saturday. The UMD women's team will travel to St. Paul to play St. Thomas on Saturday and Sunday.

To preview the series with Minnesota, the Bulldog Insider Podcast catches up with senior captain forward and captain Noah Cates. 

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

It's a busy week at Amsoil Arena with the Minnesota Wild visiting on Tuesday, followed by six college hockey games in three days, including a triple header to start things off on Friday.

The home of the Bulldogs is hosting a WCHA series with Wisconsin, as well as the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament, which will include Michigan, Minnesota State and Providence.

To preview the Ice Breaker, the Bulldog Insider Podcast catches up with Bulldogs forwards Jesse Jacques and Blake Biondi down at Amsoil Arena. The Hermantown natives are no strangers to big games and big weekends at Amsoil.

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens and My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.

It is opening week for the UMD men's hockey team as the Bulldogs visit Bemidji State Friday and host the Beavers on Saturday. The women's team will have their first home series of the season with the Minnesota Gophers visiting AMSOIL Arena Friday and Saturday.

In this week's episode of the Bulldog Insider podcast, News Tribune hockey reporter Matt Wellens and My9's Kelly Hinseth discuss the men's exhibition victory over Wisconsin from Sunday in Chippewa Falls as well as the women's season-opening split at Minnesota State-Mankato. They also interview men's head coach Scott Sandelin and make their own season predictions.

The Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens, My9 television voice of Bulldog hockey Zach Schneider and CBS3 Sports' Kelly Hinseth. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Samantha Erkkila and Dan Williamson. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com.”