The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) has announced its 2005-06 award winners.
Wisconsin’s Sara Bauer has been named the 2005-06 WCHA Player of the Year. Bauer, a junior forward from St. Catharines, Ont., ranked second in the league scoring race with 38 points in 28 league games. She was third in goal scoring with 16 and tied for the league lead in assists with 22. She lead the league in short handed points (4) and short handed goals (3) and tied for the league lead with six game-winning goals. Nationally, Bauer ranks eighth in scoring with 1.41 points per game. She was also named among the top 10 candidates for the 2006 Patty Kazmaier Award.
Minnesota’s Gigi Marvin was named the 2005-06 WCHA Rookie of the Year. A freshman forward from Warroad, Minn., Marvin ranked first among league rookies in scoring with 31 points and also led the freshman class with 20 assists. She also ranked fifth in the league in scoring (11-20-31) and tied for sixth in assists (20).
For the third consecutive year, the WCHA’s Defensive Player of the Year has hailed from Wisconsin. Bobbi-Jo Slusar (Jr., D, Swift Current, Sask.) joins two-time winner Molly Engstrom as the only Badgers to receive the award. Slusar tied for seventh in the league scoring race with 29 points and tied for third in assists with 21. She led all defensemen in scoring with 29 points and tied Minnesota sophomore Erica McKenzie as the league leader in power play points (16). Slusar ranks third nationally among defensemen with a 1.00 points per game average. Slusar was also recently named a top 10 candidate for the 2006 Patty Kazmaier Award. She is the only defenseman to be named to the top 10.
Minnesota Duluth’s Riitta Schaublin has been named the 2005-06 WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year. A junior goaltender from Basel, Switzerland, Schaublin ranked among the league goaltending leaders. She finished the regular season ranked second with a .938 save percentage and was third with a 1.66 goals against average. She also also led all league goaltenders with 16 wins on the season. Schaublin will complete her undergraduate degree in mathematics this year and will enroll in the Minnesota Duluth Math Department’s master’s program during her final year of athletic eligibility. She also is currently studying for the first of several actuary exams with plans to become an actuary. Off the ice, she participates in numerous community outreach programs and serves as a math tutor for fellow student-athletes. Schaublin also shares her talents as a coach to youth goalies in the Duluth area.
The 2006 WCHA Coach of the Year award was given to Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson. Johnson, in his fourth season with the Badgers, led the team to a 31-4-1 overall record heading into the WCHA Playoff Championship Tournament and a 24-3-1 conference record. The Badgers won their first-ever WCHA regular season title and finished with the program’s best regular season record. Johnson is 106-27-10 for his career, hitting the 100-career win last month.
McKenzie scored 13 points in the final four games of WCHA competition to come from behind and earn the WCHA Scoring Champion. She finished the season with a league-high 40 points in conference play. She also led the league in goals scored (18) and tied for first in assist scoring (22) and power-play scoring (16). A first-team All-WCHA selection as a sophomore, McKenzie was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week five times, the most by any other player in the WCHA. On the season, McKenzie has 51 points. She ranks first in the league and the nation in game-winning goals with eight. It is the second straight year that a Golden Gopher has earned the award with former Gopher Natalie Darwitz winning the award last year.
Minnesota’s Kim Hanlon was named the 2005-06 WCHA Goaltending Champion as a freshman. Hanlon led the league with a 1.19 goals against average and a .940 percent save percentage. She went 10-2-0 in conference play and also ranked first in save percentage with a .940. Of her 15 starts on the season, Hanlon holds six shutouts. Nationally, Hanlon ranks first with a 1.02 overall goals against average and a .948 save percentage and fourth in winning percentage at 867. She was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week once (2/15) as well as the National Defensive Player of the Week once this year (2/14).
The conference head coaches and sports information directors vote for the WCHA award winners. The WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Award was chosen solely by the head coaches, while the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year was selected by the institutional faculty representatives.
2005-06 WCHA All-Academic Team
To earn a position on the WCHA ll-Academic Team, each player must meet the following criteria: 1) Must have completed at least one year of eligibility at present institution, prior to current academic year; 2) Have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for the two previous semesters or three quarters; 3) Have competed in at least one-half of her institution’s varsity intercollegiate ice hockey games during the current season (goaltenders must have played in 33 percent of all games).
Bemidji State University (13)
Haley Balcom, So., D, Elk River, Minn.; Mandy Bambrough, Sr., D, Tornoto, Ontario; Emily Brookshaw, So., G, Webster, Wis.; Aimee Collins, Sr., F, Pilot Mound, Manitoba; Tara Hiscock, So., F, Bemidji, Minn.; Laura Lankton, Sr., D, Houghton, Mich.; Jaime LeDuc, So., F, International Falls, Minn.; Jill Luebke, Sr., G, Neenah, Wis.; Jessica Pullar, So., F, Elk River, Minn.; Kate Robinson, Jr., F, Shanty Bay, Ontario; Millisa Smith, So., G, Elk River, Minn.; Helena Tageson, Jr., F, Malmo, Sweden; Nina Ziegenhals, Jr., D, Sankt Augustin, Germany
University of Minnesota Twin Cities (11)
Chelsey Brodt, Sr., D, Roseville, Minn.; Whitney Graft, So., F, Wayzata, Minn.; Krista Johnson, Sr., D/F, Blaine, Minn.; Erica McKenzie, So., F, Hastings, Minn.; Anya Miller, So., D, Elk River, Minn.; Andrea Nichols, Jr., F, Mt. Iron, Minn.; Elizabeth Palkie, So., F, Carlton, Minn.; Jenelle Philipczyk, So., F, Woodbury, Minn.; Bobbi Ross, So., F, Verwood, Saskatchewan; Allsion Sanchez, Sr., D, St. Paul, Minn.; Margaret Souba, Jr., F/D, Moorhead, Minn.
University of Minnesota Duluth (9)
Rachael Bertram, Jr., D, Fairfield, Calif.; Karine Demeule, So., F, Montreal, Quebec; Rachael Drazan, So., D, Orono, Minn.; Erin Holznagel, So., F, Brainerd, Minn.; Jessica Koizumi, Jr., F, Simi Valley, Calif.; Allison Lehrke, Jr., F, Bloomington, Minn.; Noemie Marin, Jr., F, St. Myacinthe, Quebec; Riitta Schaublin, Jr., G, Basel, Switzerland; Suvi Vacker, Jr., D, Jyvaskyla, Finland
Minnesota State University Mankato (12)
Laura Brennan, Jr., G, White Bear Lake, Minn.; Kristina Bunker, So., F, Blaine, Minn.; Jodi Helminen, So., F, Brighton, Mich.; Megan Jedinak, Jr., D, Fridley, Minn.; Jennifer Jonsson, Sr., D, Oakview, Minn.; Lindsay McCulloch, Sr., D, Toronto, Ontario; Samantha Miller, Jr., D, So. St. Paul, Minn.; Amber Sharratt, Sr., D, Ramsey, Minn.; Richelle St. Croix, Jr., D, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Amanda Stohr, So., F, So. St. Paul, Minn.; Andreanne Thibault, So., D, L’Original, Ontario; Shera Vis, Jr., F, Thunder Bay, Ontario
University of North Dakota (9)
Christey Allen, So., D, St. Andrews, Manitoba; Laura Cecko, So., F, Coon Rapids, Minn.; Devon Fingland, Sr., D, Lundar, Manitoba; Liz Funk, Sr., F, Mendota Heights, Minn.; Anne Girtz, Sr., F, Shoreview, Minn.; Amber Hasbargen, Sr., G, Warroad, Minn.; Meghan Hopps, Jr., F, Bemidji, Minn.; Jessica Kovacevich, Sr., D, Anchorage, Alaska; Meghan Mutrie, Sr., F, Calgary, Alberta
The Ohio State University (6)
Amber Bowman, Jr., D, Innisfil, Ontario; Jana Harrigan, Sr., F, Burlington, Ontario; Jody Heywood, So., F, Regina, Saskatchewan; Mallory Peckels, So., F, Minocqua, Wis.; Lacey Schultz, Jr., D, Kelvington, Saskatchewan; Erika Vanderveer, Jr., D, Bradford, Ontario
St. Cloud State (13)
Bobbie Anderson, Jr., F, Whitecourt, Alberta; Hailey Clarkson, Jr., F, Winnipegosis, Manitboa; Laura Fast, So., F, Calgary, Alberta; Tricia Fast, Jr., D, Calgary, Alberta; Randie Jelinski, Sr., D, Regina, Saskatchewan; Jacqueline Jensen, Jr., F, Madison, Wis.; Brittni Kuyper, So., D, Eden Prairie, Minn.; Marie-Michel Lemieux, Jr., F, Boisbriand, Quebec; Denelle Maguet, Jr., F, Ste. Rose, Manitoba; Emily Meronyk; Kristy Oonincx, Sr., F, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Lauri St. Jacques, Jr., G, Sturgeon Falls, Ontario; Hilary Spires, So., D, Delta, British Columbia
University of Wisconsin (9)
Sara Bauer, Jr., F, St. Catharines, Ontario; Nikki Burish, Sr., F, Madison, Wis.; Sharon Cole, Sr., F, Bloomington, Minn.; Meghan Horras, Sr., G, Appleton, Wis.; Cyndy Kenyon, Sr., F, Sparta, Wis.; Heidi Kletzien, Jr., F, Manitowac, Wis.; Meaghan Mikkelson, Jr., D, St. Albert, Alberta; Phoebe Monteleone, Jr., F, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Mikka Nordby, So., D, Watford City, N.D.
WCHA Announces Inaugural Group of 50 WCHA Scholar-Athletes
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, through Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, Associate Commissioner Sara Martin, University of Wisconsin Faculty Representative Linda Baumann (Chair, men’s league) and St. Cloud State University Faculty Representative Bill Hudson (Chair, women’s league) announced March 2 the inaugural group of 50 WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, a new honor developed though Association member team Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership for this 2005-06 season.
“In keeping with a long-standing tradition of promoting excellence both on the ice and in the classroom, the WCHA is extremely pleased to announce this new annual award,” said McLeod, Martin, Baumann and Hudson in a joint statement. “This is truly a significant development and all of this year’s recipients should be extremely proud of their tremendous accomplishments as student-athletes. On behalf of the entire WCHA family faculty representatives, athletic directors, coaches, staff and fellow student-athletes we congratulate them all.”
To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.
This year’s first group of men’s and women’s WCHA Scholar-Athletes were recognized and honored on-ice at member team home games during the last part of the 2005-06 season and presented with a commemorative plaque. The winners will also be recognized in the men’s and women’s post-season tournament programs as well as in future men’s and women’s conference yearbooks.
2005-06 WCHA Scholar-Athletes
Bemidji State University: Laura Lankton (Sr., D, Houghton, Mich.); Millisa Smith (So., G, Elk River, Minn.), and Tara Hiscock (So., F, Bemidji, Minn.).
Colorado College: John Brunkhorst (Jr., F, Rochester, Minn.); Scott McCulloch (So., F, Lacombe, Alberta); Brett Sterling (Sr., F, Pasadena, Calif.); and Lee Sweatt (Jr., D, Elburn, Ill.).
University of Denver: Zach Blom (Jr., D, Englewood, Colo.); Steven Cook (Jr., F, Denver, Colo.); J.D. Corbin (Jr., F, Littleton, Colo.); Daniel King (Jr., G, Colorado Springs, Colo.); Brock McMorris (Jr., F, Cherry Hills, Colo.); and Ted O’Leary (Sr., F, Arvada, Colo.).
Michigan Tech University: Brandon Schwartz (Sr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.); and Tyler Skworchinski (Jr., F, Marathon, Ontario).
University of Minnesota: Mike Howe (So., F, St. Cloud, Minn.); Evan Kaufmann (So., F, Plymouth, Minn.); Bobbi Ross (So., F, Verwood, Saskatchewan); Allison Sanchez (Sr., D, St. Paul, Minn.); and Maggie Souba (Jr., F/D, Moorhead, Minn.).
University of Minnesota Duluth: Rachael Bertram (Jr., D, Fairfield, Calif.); Jessica Koizumi (Jr., F, Simi Valley, Calif.); Noemie Marin (Jr., F, St. Myacinthe, Quebec); Riitta Schaublin (Jr., G, Basel, Switzerland); and Suvi Vacker (Jr., D, Jyvaskyla, Finland).
Minnesota State University: David Backes (Jr., F, Blaine, Minn.); Laura Brennan (Jr., G, White Bear Lake, Minn.); Kristina Bunker (So., F, Blaine, Minn.); Ryan Carter (So., F, White Bear Lake, Minn.); Chad Clower (Sr., F, Kelowna, British Columbia); Joel Hanson (So., F, Elk River, Minn.); Jodi Helminen (So., F, Brighton, Mich.); Jennifer Jonsson (Sr., D, Oakview, Minn.); Ryan McKelvie (Sr., F, New Brighton, Minn.); Amber Sharratt (Sr., D, Ramsey, Minn.); and Shera Vis (Jr., F, Thunder Bay, Ontario).
University of North Dakota: Erik Fabian (Jr., F, Roseau, Minn.); Meghan Mutrie (Sr., F, Calgary, Alberta); Chris Porter (Jr., F, Thunder Bay, Ontario); and Matt Smaby (Jr., D, Minneapolis, Minn.).
Ohio State University: Mallory Peckels (So., F, Minocqua, Wis.); and Erika Vanderveer (Jr., G, Bradford, Ontario).
St. Cloud State University: Bobbie Anderson (Jr., F, Whitecourt, Alberta); Laura Fast (So., F, Calgary, Alberta); Denelle Maguet (Jr., F, Ste. Rose, Manitoba); Nate Raduns (Jr., F, Sauk Rapids, Minn.); and Matt Stephenson (So., D, Midland, Ontario).
University of Wisconsin: Sara Bauer (Jr., F, St. Catharines, Ontario); Nikki Burish (Sr., F, Madison, Wis.); and Sharon Cole (Sr., F, Bloomington, Minn.).
