DULUTH — Since the start of the 2021-22 season and the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, 10 Bulldogs — five from the Minnesota Duluth women’s program and five from the men — entered the NCAA’s transfer portal in search of a new school, and all 10 found new homes.
Here’s a look at where those former Bulldogs are playing next season, and who will be returning to Amsoil Arena in a different jersey this year.
A fifth-year defenseman, Norton was originally slated to return to the Bulldogs in 2022-23 as a graduate student before entering the transfer portal just before the deadline. She now finds herself playing closer to her hometown of Orono — and for UMD’s biggest rival — after posting six goals and 25 assists in 126 career games for UMD.
Bulldog reunion: The Gophers host the Bulldogs on Nov. 4-5 at Ridder Arena in a rematch of the 2022 regional final won by UMD. Norton returns to Amsoil Arena on Jan. 27-28.
A junior forward, Betinol played two seasons for UMD from 2019-21 before taking a season off in 2021-22 to centralize with China for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. She didn’t score much in her two seasons with the Bulldogs — three goals and four assists in 55 games — but she had 10 goals and 11 assists to lead the Vanke Rays (Team China) in scoring in the Russian pro league. She had a goal in the Olympics, as well.
Bulldog reunion: Colgate and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
Jojo Chobak, St. Cloud State
A junior goaltender, Chobak started 14 games for the Bulldogs last season while Emma Soderberg was away with Sweden at the Olympics and recovering from her time in Beijing. Chobak posted a 1.79 goals against average and .928 save percentage with three shutouts. UMD went 10-4-1 with Chobak as the starter. She elected to transfer when Soderberg decided to return to UMD for a fifth season,
not wanting to split time in net
.
Bulldog reunion: The Huskies host the Bulldogs on Nov. 11-12 in St. Cloud, while Chobak returns to Amsoil Arena on Feb. 10-11.
A sophomore goalie, Gruber spent just one season at UMD as the third stringer behind Chobak and Soderberg. Gruber appeared in just one game last year and also decided to transfer when Soderberg announced her return for a fifth season.
Bulldog reunion: Clarkson and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
Brieja Parent, St. Thomas
A junior forward, Parent left the Bulldogs midway through the 2021-22 season and finished the year with the Tommies, totaling three goals and two assists in 15 games. She played nine games for UMD as a freshman in 2020-21 before not seeing the ice during the first half of 2021-22.
Bulldog reunion: Parent returns to Amsoil Arena on Dec. 9-10 before the Tommies host UMD on Jan. 21-22 in Mendota Heights.
Connor Kelley, Providence
A junior defenseman and seventh-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021, Kelley appeared in 64 games over two seasons on the Bulldogs blue line. He totaled five goals and 11 assists, with his most memorable goal coming in a 5-4 overtime win over Western Michigan in the first round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.
Bulldog reunion: The Friars and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
Hunter Lellig, Bowling Green
A four-year player for UMD who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2022, Lellig was a regular in the Bulldogs lineup on the blue line over his final two seasons. A defensive defenseman who is entering his fifth year, he had two goals and 10 assists in 98 games for UMD and was a member of the NCAA Fargo Regional all-tournament team in 2021 following the five-overtime win over North Dakota.
Bulldog reunion: BGSU and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
Jake Rosenbaum, American International
A fifth-year senior defenseman and a popular player in the Bulldogs locker room during his four years, Rosenbaum played in just 44 games as a Bulldog. The California native suited up for 15 games in his final two seasons, tallying two assists.
Bulldog reunion: AIC and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
Ben Almquist, Alaska Anchorage
A junior forward, Almquist played two and a half seasons for the Bulldogs, joining midway through the 2019-20 season to bolster UMD’s depth at center. He had three goals and four assists in 42 career games at UMD, and now looks to finish his career with a Seawolves program that last took the ice during the 2019-20 season.
Bulldog reunion: The Seawolves and UMD are not scheduled to play each other during the regular season.
A native of Hibbing, Lee transferred to UMD in 2020 after a year and a half at Northern Michigan. Now a fifth-year senior forward back in the CCHA, he suited up in just 21 games for the Bulldogs over two seasons and was credited with a single assist. He’s one of 10 transfers playing in the Tommies’ second season of NCAA Division I hockey.
Bulldog reunion: UMD hosts the Tommies in an exhibition on New Years Eve, playing at 2 p.m. at Amsoil Arena.
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