University of Minnesota Athletics
WHK: Gophers Well Represented in WCHA Conference Awards
3/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association held its annual banquet tonight at the Radisson Metrodome, announcing the end of the year conference awards. The University of Minnesota was well represented in the awards, placing three on the first team All-WCHA (Natalie Darwitz, Lyndsay Wall and Krissy Wendell) and two on the second team All-WCHA (Jody Horak and Kelly Stephens). For the second straight season, Wendell was voted as the WCHA Player of the Year. Freshman forward Bobbi Ross was named WCHA Rookie of the Year, while head coach Laura Halldorson was named the league's Coach of the Year.
Darwitz captured the 2004-05 WCHA Scoring title as she led the league with 72 conference points. Darwitz, an Eagan, Minn., native, ranked third in the league with 27 goals and led the league with 45 assists in 28 league games. She also ranked first in the WCHA with 35 power play points and 27 power play assists and tied for the league lead with seven game-winning goals. On the season, Darwitz has 34 goals, 59 assists for 93 points. Darwitz is also a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award which is presented to the top women's collegiate hockey player in the nation. It is her first scoring championship and her third appearance on the All-WCHA First Team.
Horak earned the 2004-05 WCHA Goaltending Award as she led the league with a 0.89 goals against average. Horak, a Blaine, Minn., native, also led the league with a 16-1-2 record on the season and owned a league-best .952 save percentage. On the season, Horak holds a 19-2-2 record and a 1.38 goals against average. Of her 19 wins, eight have come on shutouts. In Horak's four-year tenure, she has been named to one of the All- WCHA teams three times.
A freshman forward from Verwood, Saskatchewan, Ross led all freshmen in scoring with 24 points. She has 28 points in overall scoring. She also ranked first among rookies with 14 assists and second in goals with 10. Ross finished ranked in the top 10 in the league in goals scored. A member of the nation's best power-play unit (29.0 percent) Ross has scored eight goals and eight assists for 16 points with the extra attacker. Ross was also named the WCHA All-Rookie team, which was established in the 2002-03 season. The last Gopher to receive the award was Darwitz in the 2002-03 season.
Stephens, a Shoreline, Wash., native, ranks third on the team in scoring with 62 points. In WCHA action, Stephens ranks fifth in scoring with 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points. Stephens leads the team with 13 power-play goals. A senior co-captain, Stephens earned the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors in her final home series, posting four points against Minnesota State (2/19-20). She will finish her career with over 200 points, only one of five Gophers to do so in school history.
Wall, a sophomore from Churchville, N.Y., leads the WCHA and the nation in scoring by a defenseman. In her second season, Wall holds 11 goals and 30 assists for 41 points. She ranks fourth on the season in scoring. In conference action, Wall has 37 points, which also leads the league. Wall, who quarterbacks the nation's best power-play unit (29.0 percent) ranks second in the WCHA in power-play scoring. She holds 30 points overall and 28 against conference opponents with the extra attacker. A solid enforcer at the blue line, Wall leads the Minnesota defensemen in plus/minus rating with a +37.
Hailing from Brooklyn Park, Minn., Wendell was second behind Darwitz in scoring with 67 points and tied for second in goals with 27. Overall, Wendell has 87 points on the season. In league competition, she is second in assists (40), fourth in power play points (25), and ranked first with short handed points (8). On the season, Wendell has scored seven short- handed goals, five of which came against WCHA opponents. Wendell is also a top 10 finalist for the Kazmaier Award. Wendell has been a member of an All-WCHA team the last three seasons. The Gophers have captured the WCHA Player of the Year honors the last four of five seasons. Former Gophers Courtney Kennedy and Ronda Curtin earned the honors in 2001 and 2002. As a sophomore, Wendell earned the honor last year.
Halldorson led her squad to a 25-1-2 league mark and a record 52 points. Overall, Minnesota was 30-2-2, marking its second-straight 30-plus win season. The Golden Gophers were unbeaten in 24 consecutive league games. Minnesota has also sat on top of both the USA Today and USCHO.com's national polls all season. 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.
Along with the WCHA awards, the WCHA All-Academic Team was announced. The Gophers led all teams with 11 honorees. To earn a position on the WCHA All- 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). Minnesota's recipients are Chelsey Brodt, Darwitz, < a href="http://www.gophersports.com/sports/player.asp'sport_id=whock& player_id=1878">Krista Johnson, Andrea Nichols, Brenda Reinen, Allie Sanchez, Maggie Souba, Stephens, Noelle Sutton, Stacy Troumbly. and Krissy Wendell.
WCHA Awards 2004-05 All-WCHA First Team
Position Name School Year Hometown Forward Krissy Wendell Minnesota Jr. Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Forward Caroline Ouellette Minnesota Duluth Sr. Edina, Minn.
Forward Natalie Darwitz Minnesota Jr. Eagan, Minn.
Defense Molly Engstrom Wisconsin Sr. Siren, Wis.
Defense Lyndsay Wall Minnesota Fr. Churchville, N.Y.
Goaltender Riitta Schaublin Minnesota Duluth So. Basel, Switzerland
2004-05 All-WCHA Second Team
Position Name School Year Hometown
Forward Kelly Stephens Minnesota Sr. Shoreline, Wash.
Forward Sara Bauer Wisconsin So. St. Catherines, Ontario
Forward Noemie Marin Minnesota Duluth So. St. Myacinthe, Quebec
Defense Carla MacLeod Wisconsin Sr. Calgary, Alberta
Defense Julianne Vashichek Minnesota Duluth Sr. Great Falls, Mont. Goaltender Jody Horak Minnesota Sr. Blaine, Minn.
2004-05 All-WCHA Rookie Team
Position Name School Hometown
Forward Bobbi Ross Minnesota Verwood, Saskatchewan
Forward Jinelle Zaugg Wisconsin Eagle River, Wis.
Forward Cami Wooster North Dakota Salvador, Saskatchewan
Defense Rachael Drazan Minnesota Duluth Orono, Minn.
Defense Kerri Wallace Minnesota State Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
GoaltenderEmily Brookshaw Bemidji State Webster, Wis.
2004-05 WCHA Scoring Champion
Natalie Darwitz, Minnesota
2004-05 WCHA Goaltending Champion
Jody Horak, Minnesota
2004-05 WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Molly Engstrom, Wisconsin
2004-05 WCHA Rookie of the Year
Bobbi Ross, Minnesota
2004-05 WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year
Caroline Ouellette, Minnesota Duluth
2004-05 WCHA Player of the Year
Krissy Wendell, Minnesota
2004-05 WCH
