The season is not done for Ashley Messier and the UMD womens hockey team! They earned a sixth-consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Messier, a Graduate Student defenseman from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Canada, joined the Bulldogs after five years at Cornell. If you're wondering about her last name, she is indeed related to NHL legend Mark Messier, who is a cousin of her father Joby, also a former NHL player.
In this episode, Messier joins Bulldog Insider co-host Matt Wellens via Zoom, discussing her background in hockey, why she transferred to UMD, being reunited with Bishop Kearney Selects teammate Mary Kate O'Brien, making the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and much more.
The Bulldogs were able to hang on to the last at-large bid to the 11-team tournament last week, finishing No. 10 in the NCAA Percentage Index Ratings — the system used to select and seed the NCAA men's and women's hockey tournaments. The week began with five Cinderellas from outside the top 10 of the NPI still alive in conference tournaments. One by one, they fell throughout the week, improving UMD's chances each day.
UMD (20-14-3) now has a chance to bounce back from a disappointing WCHA tournament by playing Yale (25-9) in a "battle of the Bulldogs" at 5 p.m. CDT Thursday at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio, with the winner getting the top seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (34-4) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to the 2026 NCAA Women's Frozen Four at Penn State.
It's a special double dog week for the Bulldog Insider podcast with another episode scheduled for Friday featuring freshman defenseman Grayden Siepmann of the UMD mens team. They'll face North Dakota on the road on Saturday at 6:07 PM in an NCHC semifinal showdown. As Wellens writes, the Bulldogs are considered a lock to make the 16-team NCAA Tournament.
Bulldog Insider is co-hosted by Matt Wellens and Zach Schneider. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Dan Williamson and Wyatt Buckner. You can find more Bulldog hockey coverage at duluthnewstribune.com and more episodes of Bulldog Insider wherever you listen to podcasts.