University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Selected as WCHA Preseason Favorite
9/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - The defending national champion Minnesota women's hockey team has been named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's preseason favorite heading into the 2015-16 season. The Gophers collected six first-place votes and 48 points in the annual preseason poll of the league's eight head coaches, the WCHA announced Tuesday.
Two Gophers received individual preseason honors as senior forward Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) earned her third-straight preseason player of the year award and freshman forward Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.) was named the league's preseason rookie of the year.
Brandt is the two-time defending WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Scoring Champion. She was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and an AHCA/CCM First Team All-American honoree each of the last two seasons as well. Brandt (90g-131a) needs just 25 points to tie Natalie Darwitz (102g-144a) as Minnesota's all-time career points leader. She joins junior Lee Stecklein to captain the Gophers this year.
Meanwhile, Potomak joins the Maroon & Gold from Aldergrove, B.C., where she was a member of Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team and played for the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna, B.C. Potomak won gold in 2014 and silver in 2015 with Canada at the IIHF U-18 Women's World Championships and was named top forward, most valuable player and media all-star team member at the 2015 IIHF Championships after leading the tournament with nine points (5g-4a).
Minnesota enters the 2015-16 season as the three-time defending WCHA regular season champion. The Gophers have won three of the last four WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF titles and NCAA national championships as well.
Second to Minnesota in the league's preseason coaches' poll was Wisconsin with 44 points and two first-place votes. North Dakota (35 points) and Bemidji State (31 points) joined the Gophers and Badgers in the top half of the poll in third and fourth, respectively, and Minnesota Duluth (26), Ohio State (20), St. Cloud State (13) and Minnesota State (7) rounded out the preseason poll.
Minnesota opens the 2015-16 season on the road at Penn State at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Gophers' home opener is set for 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 9 when the team hosts St. Cloud State at Ridder Arena.
WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Minnesota (6), 48
2. Wisconsin (2), 44
3. North Dakota, 35
4. Bemidji State, 31
5. Minnesota Duluth, 26
6. Ohio State, 20
7. St. Cloud State, 13
8. Minnesota State, 7
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