BEMIDJI — When the clock struck midnight on June 15, the day the new recruiting pool opened for collegiate women’s hockey programs, Bailey Rupp started receiving texts.
The Bemidji High School girls hockey junior forward is one of the top collegiate prospects in the country. She had over 20 schools contact her, some of them at the soonest possible moment.
Less than 12 hours later, Rupp received a call from Minnesota Duluth head coach Laura Schuler. It didn’t take much to convince her to become a Bulldog.
“I love her so much,” Rupp said of Schuler. “Just talking to her, you can learn so much. She’s just amazing, and I can’t wait to play for her. She showed me some film, and I just kept thinking, ‘She’s a genius.’”
When Rupp got off the phone, she ran across her house to find her dad.
“I told him, ‘There’s no way I’m not going to UMD,’” she continued. “I think they’re on the rise, too. The next couple of years are going to be so good. I’m so happy I get the chance to go there and help them. I want to win a national championship.”
Since her first varsity season in 2022-23, when she was in eighth grade, Rupp has amassed 80 goals and 62 assists in 79 games. She’s molded herself into one of Minnesota’s most feared players, which also made her a sought-after recruit.
Rupp’s collegiate decision has been at the forefront of her mind for many years. Ever since she started playing organized hockey, she envisioned herself playing for the Gophers at the University of Minnesota.
However, when her recruiting cycle began, she told herself to keep an open mind. It ultimately led her to a U of M rival.
“I think leading up to June 15, I was kind of forcing myself to want to (choose Minnesota),” Rupp said. “I was kind of making myself want it. When June 15 came, I just became open to everything. I kept an open mind and didn’t force anything, and I think that really allowed me to find the best spot for me.”
Bemidji High School girls tennis head coach Kyle Fodness allows three types of absences away from team activities: illnesses and ailments, family emergencies and making a Team USA roster.
Rupp, who is a regular in the BHS varsity singles lineup each fall, missed the opening girls tennis practices. She wasn’t sick, and her family is in typical spirits. However, she was selected for the American Under-18 Series games following the USA Hockey Women’s National Festival in early August.
Two summers ago, Rupp was one of 43 Minnesotans who traveled to Oxford, Ohio, for the Girls 15 National Player Development Camp. Last year, she was invited to the National Festival with the hope of making the Under-18 Series roster for a best-of-three showdown against Canada.
Rupp was left off the roster in 2024, which made her inclusion in 2025 even sweeter.
“We were in an auditorium with all of the players, and the coach was up on the stage reading off all of the players who made it,” Rupp said. “I heard my last name and I was just smiling. I looked around, and I couldn’t believe it was real. I was trying to hide it for the people who didn’t make it. I was just so happy.”
Twenty-five players were selected following the National Festival in Lake Placid, New York. They played in three games against Canada on Aug. 13, 14 and 16.
“I got goosebumps when I saw the jersey. I’m getting goosebumps right now just talking about it,” Rupp said. “It was so cool. Just sitting in the locker room with all of the USA gear that’s for you, it’s amazing.
Bemidji’s Bailey Rupp (22) shoots the puck during the third period against Crookston on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Bemidji Community Arena.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
“The coolest part was going out for warmups for the first time. Seeing your whole team in USA gear, seeing Canada out there and knowing you’re about to play in a game against them. It didn’t feel real.”
The Americans dropped the first game 4-1, then rebounded to win the next two contests 3-2 and 3-1, respectively.
“The games were so fast, but I loved it because it had really good flow,” Rupp said. “Our team was really fast, too. The pace of play, the back and forth, it had such a good feel. It wasn’t sloppy, you’re just going all the time.”
After her Under-18 Series roster selection on Aug. 8, Rupp was hanging out with her temporary team the following Sunday. Her teammates were talking about their collegiate destinations, which is when Rupp pulled the trigger on her commitment announcement to UMD on Instagram.
Before leaving for New York, Rupp took her official visit to Duluth. When she donned a Bulldogs jersey for a photoshoot, she knew she had found her home in college.
“I’ve waited my whole life to find out where I’m going to play college hockey,” Rupp said. “This past year, it was all I could think about. Now that it’s done, I just want to focus on getting better and winning here in Bemidji. I get to worry about the game in front of me instead of the future.”
Bemidji’s Bailey Rupp (22) shoots the puck during the first period against Grand Rapids/Greenway on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at the Bemidji Community Arena.
TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer
Rupp will join her sister at UMD. Mollie Rupp is an incoming freshman on the volleyball team after an accomplished prep career in Bemidji.
Committing to Minnesota Duluth is also a weight off Rupp’s shoulders. She’s eager to head into her penultimate high school hockey season with the hope of taking the Jacks a step further after an overtime loss against Roseau in the Section 8AA semifinals last winter.
“I feel like that second week was so huge,” Rupp said of her travels to Lake Placid. “Being in that team culture and learning about what it takes, what the leaders are like – everything that comes with it – I took away so many things. They’re people I look up to. I want to be like them. I saw how good of leaders they were for our team, and I want to be that leader for my team here in Bemidji.”