University of Minnesota Athletics
Leveille, Cameranesi Earn WCHA Monthly Honors
3/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Two Gophers have earned WCHA monthly honors for February 2016 as Dani Cameranesi is the Offensive Player of the Month and Amanda Leveille is the Defensive Player of the Month, the WCHA announced Wednesday.
Cameranesi picks up her third WCHA monthly award of the season while Leveille has earned her first monthly accolades of the year.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Month: Dani Cameranesi
Junior forward Dani Cameranesi led the WCHA with 14 points, seven goals, 0.88 goals per game, and a .269 scoring percentage (14 goals on 26 shots) during the month of February. She was tied for fourth in the league with seven assists as well. Her 1.75 points per game was second among WCHA players. Cameranesi had at least one point in seven of eight games played during February, including four multi-point games with two multi-goal games.
Cameranesi has been a key member of the Gophers' nation-leading power-play unit all year, including in the month of February. Minnesota leads the nation at 45.7 percent (43/94) on the power play, including a WCHA-best 35.0 power-play percentage (7/20) during February. Cameranesi is the NCAA leader with 13 power play goals this season.
Against North Dakota (Feb. 5-6), Cameranesi recorded one assist as Minnesota went 1-0-1 in the series with a 3-0 win and scoreless overtime tie (Feb. 5-6). She then earned WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after leading Minnesota with five points in the Gophers' road sweep at Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 12-13), recorded three goals and two assists in Minnesota's 7-3 and 6-2 wins over the Bulldogs.
In Minnesota's home sweep over then No. 2 Wisconsin (Feb. 19-20), Cameranesi recorded two assists, one in each game. Cameranesi set up Minnesota's third goal in game one and then assisted Minnesota's second goal in the team's 4-3 overtime win.
Against Ohio State last weekend, Cameranesi led Minnesota with six points (4g-2a) in the Gophers' WCHA First Round sweep (Feb. 26-27). Cameranesi registered four points, including scoring her fourth career hat trick, in game two of the series after tallying a goal and an assist in game one.
For the season, Cameranesi ranks third in goals (32), goals per game (0.91), and points per game (1.91), fourth in points (67), fifth in assists (35), and sixth in assists per game (1.00) among NCAA players. Her 13 power-play goals and .258 scoring percentage lead the nation as well. Cameranesi is the WCHA leader with four goals, six points, 2.00 goals per game, 3.00 points per game, and one hat trick in postseason play.
Including back-to-back multi-point games, Cameranesi has 20 multi-point games including eight multi-goal games this season. Her six-point weekend pushed her into ninth on Minnesota's career points list with 168 points (74 goals, 94 assists) in less than three seasons. She is on a team-best six-game point streak.
Defensive Player of the Month: Amanda Leveille
Senior goaltender Amanda Leveille went 7-0-1 in net during the month of February. She led the WCHA with a 1.02 goals against average and a .961 save percentage during February, making 196 saves on 204 shots faced. Her 7-0-1- mark was good for a league-best .938 winning percentage, and she was tied for tops in the WCHA with four shutouts. Among NCAA goaltenders, Leveille's .961 save percentage was the best and her 1.02 goals against average was second to Mercyhurst's Sarah McDonnell (0.98).
Leveille was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after recording 57 saves in back-to-back shutouts over No. 8 North Dakota (Feb. 5-6), helping Minnesota to a 3-0 win and scoreless overtime tie. She then picked up two wins in net on the road at Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 12-13.
The following weekend, Leveille picked up her second WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award of the season after leading the Gophers to two wins over then No. 2 Wisconsin (Feb. 19-20). Leveille made a career-high 66 saves on 69 shots faced in the series, including a season-high 35 saves in her 30th career shutout in game one. She made a season-best 35 saves in the game one 4-0 win and followed up with 31 saves in the team's 4-3 overtime win in game two.
Most recently, Leveille led the Gophers to two wins over Ohio State in the WCHA First Round (Feb. 26-27) as Minnesota recorded a home sweep with 5-2 and 5-0 wins. Leveille made a 21 saves in game one before earning a 25-save shutout in game two of the series, combining for 46 saves on 48 shots faced on the weekend.
Among NCAA goaltenders this season, Leveille's 1.31 goals against average is ranked fourth (second in the WCHA) and her .939 save percentage is eighth (second in the WCHA). At 25-3-1, she has a .879 winning percentage, good for third in the nation and second in the league. Her nine shutouts are fourth in the NCAA and tied for second in the WCHA as well.
Leveille's career totals stand at 31 shutouts and a 94-8-5 mark. She ranks second in Minnesota history in both career shutouts and career wins, trailing only Noora Raty (114-17-8 with 43 shutouts). Her 1.18 career goals against average is the best in Minnesota history, and her .946 career save percentage ties the Gophers' program record held by Raty. Leveille's 94 wins and 31 shutouts both rank fourth in NCAA history.
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