University of Minnesota Athletics
Natalie Darwitz Named to WCHA 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team
11/15/2023 12:12:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota alumna and former assistant coach Natalie Darwitz has been named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Top 25 Team, a celebration of the conference's 25th season, the WCHA announced on Wednesday.
Throughout the 2023-24 season, the WCHA will be announcing members of the 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team.
Darwitz, an Eagan, Minn. native, played at the 'U' for three years (2002-05). In that span, she helped the Gophers win back-to-back National Championships in 2004 and 2005 and was named 2005 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player. In the 2005 season, Darwitz scored 42 goals and 72 assists for 114 points, breaking the NCAA record for points in a single season and was named Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year. The Patty Kazmaier Award finalist led the country in points per game (2.85) and assists (72).
In just 99 career games for the Gophers, the three-time All-American currently ranks third in program history in points (246), first in points per game (2.48), sixth in goals (102), second in assists (144), and first in assists per game (1.45). Not only did Darwitz set the record for points in the NCAA tournament with nine points (3g-6a), she also scored the game-winning goal for the Gophers with 1:08 remaining in the contest to lead them to their second national championship in two years. The 2005 WCHA Scoring Champion tallied 72 points in conference action alone and was named a first-team All-WCHA selection for the third straight season. As a freshman, she was also named the 2003 WCHA Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Gopher to earn the distinction.
On the national stage, Darwitz is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time IIHF World gold medalist. She has represented the United States in three Olympics, eight IIHF World Women's Championships, and ten Women's 4 Nations Cups. In the 2002 Winter Olympics, Darwitz was named to the All-Tournament Team on her way to winning bronze. She was the youngest player to be selected to the national team at age 15. Darwitz received USA Hockey's Bob Johnson award, given to a U.S. athlete who has excelled on the international scene, in 2009. Other accolades include being inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, and Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.
Throughout the 2023-24 season, the WCHA will be announcing members of the 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team.
Darwitz, an Eagan, Minn. native, played at the 'U' for three years (2002-05). In that span, she helped the Gophers win back-to-back National Championships in 2004 and 2005 and was named 2005 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player. In the 2005 season, Darwitz scored 42 goals and 72 assists for 114 points, breaking the NCAA record for points in a single season and was named Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year. The Patty Kazmaier Award finalist led the country in points per game (2.85) and assists (72).
In just 99 career games for the Gophers, the three-time All-American currently ranks third in program history in points (246), first in points per game (2.48), sixth in goals (102), second in assists (144), and first in assists per game (1.45). Not only did Darwitz set the record for points in the NCAA tournament with nine points (3g-6a), she also scored the game-winning goal for the Gophers with 1:08 remaining in the contest to lead them to their second national championship in two years. The 2005 WCHA Scoring Champion tallied 72 points in conference action alone and was named a first-team All-WCHA selection for the third straight season. As a freshman, she was also named the 2003 WCHA Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Gopher to earn the distinction.
On the national stage, Darwitz is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time IIHF World gold medalist. She has represented the United States in three Olympics, eight IIHF World Women's Championships, and ten Women's 4 Nations Cups. In the 2002 Winter Olympics, Darwitz was named to the All-Tournament Team on her way to winning bronze. She was the youngest player to be selected to the national team at age 15. Darwitz received USA Hockey's Bob Johnson award, given to a U.S. athlete who has excelled on the international scene, in 2009. Other accolades include being inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, and Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.
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