DULUTH, Minn. --- The University of North Dakota women's hockey team had a record-breaking season amassing 22 wins so far in 2011-12 and was reflected at the annual Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Face-Off Banquet held tonight.
Headlined by Jocelyne Lamoureux's (Grand Forks, N.D.) award for the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year (she was also the WCHA Scoring Champion and currently leads the nation in points), Michelle Karvinen (Rodovre, Denmark) also took home one of the major awards being named the WCHA Rookie of the Year.
North Dakota also had a league-high 15 named to the All-WCHA Academic Team along with Lamoureux named an All-WCHA First Team forward, Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D.) an All-WCHA Second Team defenseman, Karvinen an All-WCHA Third Team forward and All-WCHA Rookie Team forward and Josefine Jakobsen (Aalborg, Denmark) an All-WCHA Rookie Team Forward.
Two members of the Badgers' high-scoring power-play and a pair of players from the University of Minnesota defense corps lead the All-WCHA First Team as selected by coaches and team captains. Wisconsin's Brianna Decker, who scored 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points in 28 conference games, was named the WCHA's Player of the Year. She is also one of six WCHA players named as top 10 finalists for the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award earlier today by the USA Hockey Foundation, given annually to the top collegiate player. The junior from Dousman, Wis., was joined on the All-WCHA First Team at forward by teammate Hilary Knight, a senior from Sun Valley, Idaho who had 22 goals and 43 points in league play, the University of North Dakota's Jocelyne Lamoureux, a junior from Grand Forks, N.D., who led the league in scoring with 27 goals, 37 assists and 64 points, and Ohio State University senior Natalie Spooner from Scarborough, Ont., who had 25 goals and 39 points in league competition. All three of those players - Knight, Lamoureux and Spooner - were also named as finalists for this season's Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Knight was a WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 14 and Feb. 15, Lamoureux earned the honor on both Nov. 9 and Jan. 25, and Spooner won the weekly award on both Nov. 30 and Jan. 11.
The All-WCHA First Team for 2011-12 also includes Minnesota defenseman Anne Schleper (28 gp, 4-19=23), a senior from St. Cloud, Minn., and teammate Megan Bozek (28 gp, 10-23=33), a junior defenseman from Buffalo Grove, Ill. The All-WCHA First Team goaltender is Bemidji State University senior Zuzana Tomcikova, a senior from Bratislava, Slovakia who had a 2.43 goals-against average in league play and a .929 conference saves percentage. Tomcikova shared WCHA Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. Schleper was a WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 15, Bozek was a Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 7, and Tomcikova earned the weekly honor on both Oct. 5 and Feb. 15.
Decker, Knight and Schleper are all repeat selections on the all-league squad and it is the third straight season Schleper has been honored.
Wisconsin's Stefanie McKeough, a junior defender from Carlsbad Springs, Ont., was honored as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches. She scored four goals, had 14 assists and 18 points in 19 league contests for the regular season champion Badgers.
The WCHA Coach of the Year Award for 2011-12 went to Wisconsin's Mark Johnson, who led the Badgers to a 23-3-2-1 conference record and to the regular season title. It is the fifth time Johnson has either won or shared the award. Under Johnson's tutelage, Wisconsin has won four NCAA titles, four WCHA playoff titles and three WCHA regular season crowns. Johnson and the Badgers were the first team ever to land in the NCAA championship game in four consecutive seasons and win the title three times (2006, 2007, 2009). The former 'Miracle on Ice' hero and gold medalist in the 1980 Winter Olympics is also three-time national Division 1 coach of the year. In his eight years at Wisconsin, Johnson has an .820 winning percentage. He took a sabbatical to coach the United States team to a silver medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010.
North Dakota's Jocelyne Lamoureux was honored as the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year in addition to earning the league's scoring title and All-WCHA First Team accolades. She maintains an outstanding grade-point average of 3.877 (4.0 scale), majoring in Physical Education, Exercise Science and Wellness, and has been on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, the Dean's List and the President's Honor Roll at UND. She has been a WCHA Scholar-Athlete in both 2010-11 and 2011-12 as well as a member of the All-WCHA Academic Team. Lamoureux is actively involved with service activities on campus and in the Grand Forks community, including reading to elementary students and Special Olympic events.
Her twin sister Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D.), a defenseman who produced 53 points (17g, 36a) in 28 league games, leads the All-WCHA Second Team which includes McKeough, Wisconsin goaltender Alex Rigsby, a sophomore from Delafield, Wis., who was the league's goaltending champion with a 1.47 goals-against average and went 23-3-2 in league play, and Minnesota forwards Jen Schoullis (27 gp, 18-22=40), a senior from Erie, Pa., and Amanda Kessel (28 gp, 17-34=51), a sophomore from Madison, Wis. Kessel's brother, Phil, is a former Minnesota athlete who currently is a National Hockey League all-star with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both Lamoureux-Kolls and Kessel also earned the distinction of being among the top 10 finalists for this season's Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Lamoureux-Kolls was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25 as well as the Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 8, Rigsby earned three Defensive Player of the Week awards on Oct. 19, Oct. 25 and Feb. 1 while Kessel was the league's Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12, Nov. 23 and Feb. 8.
North Dakota forward Michelle Karvinen of Rodovre, Denmark was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year. She scored 21 goals and added 31 assists and 52 points and was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team as well as to the All-WCHA Third Team. Karvinen was also honored as the WCHA Rookie of the Week on four occasions during the regular season - Oct. 19, Oct. 25, Nov. 9 and Feb. 8.
The All-WCHA Third team also features Minnesota Duluth senior forward Haley Irwin (26 gp, 11-32=43) of Thunder Bay, Ont., Wisconsin senior forward Brooke Ammerman (28 gp, 20-32=52) of River Vale, N.J., Minnesota Duluth sophomore defenseman Jessica Wong (28 gp, 7-15=22) of Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Bemidji State senior defender Montana Vichorek (27 gp, 5-21=26) of Moose Lake, Minn., and Minnesota junior goaltender Noora Räty (20-5-2, 1.57, .933). Irwin was a two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (Dec. 7 and Feb. 22), Ammerman earned the honor once (Feb. 22), Vichorek was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 22, and Räty earned that distinction on both Nov. 9 and Jan. 11.
Joining UND's Karvinen on the All-WCHA Rookie Team were Minnesota Duluth forward Jenna McParland (28 gp, 17-8=25) of Schreiber, Ont., North Dakota forward Josefine Jakobsen (28 gp, 13-14=27) of Aalborg, Denmark, Minnesota defenseman Rachel Ramsey (28 gp, 2-14=16) of Chanhassen, Minn., Minnesota Duluth defenseman Brigette Lacquette (28 gp, 3-12=15) of Mallard, Man., and goaltender Julie Friend of St. Cloud State (4-12-0, 4.79, .872) and Minnetonka, Minn. McParland was the WCHA Rookie of the Week on both Dec. 7 and Jan. 17, Jakobsen was a two-time recipient of the weekly honor on Feb. 1 and Feb. 22, Ramsey earned the rookie of the week award on Feb. 15 and Friend was so honored on Dec. 14 in addition to being the league's Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 17.
Conference member-team head coaches, assistant coaches and team captains vote for the WCHA individual award winners. The WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Award is chosen by the head coaches, while the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year is selected by the institutional faculty representatives.
The conference also today released the 2011-12 All-WCHA Academic Team, comprised of 98 student-athletes representing all eight WCHA women's-member institutions. See page four for the complete list.
Earlier today, USA Hockey, Inc., announced that six Western Collegiate Hockey Association players - North Dakota's Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and Jocelyne Lamoureux, Wisconsin forwards Brianna Decker and Hilary Knight, Ohio State forward Natalie Spooner and Minnesota forward Amanda Kessel - were among the 10 finalists for the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given each year to the top player in women's Division 1 collegiate hockey.
2011-12 WCHA Women's Award Winners
WCHA Player of the Year: Brianna Decker, Jr., F, University of Wisconsin (Dousman, WI)
WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year: Jocelyne Lamoureux, Jr., F, University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year: Stefanie McKeough, Jr., D, University of Wisconsin (Carlsbad Springs, ON)
WCHA Rookie of the Year: Michelle Karvinen, So., F, University of North Dakota (Rodovre, Denmark)
WCHA Coach of the Year: Mark Johnson, University of Wisconsin
WCHA Scoring Champion: Jocelyne Lamoureux, Jr., F, University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
WCHA Goaltending Champion: Alex Rigsby, So., G, University of Wisconsin (Delafield, WI)
All-WCHA First Team
Forward: Hilary Knight, Sr., University of Wisconsin (Sun Valley, ID) (28 gp, 22-21=43)
Forward: Jocelyne Lamoureux, Jr., University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND) (28 gp, 27-37=64)
Forward: Brianna Decker, Jr., University of Wisconsin (Dousman, WI) (28 gp, 20-34=54)
Forward: Natalie Spooner, Sr., Ohio State University (Scarborough, ON) (26 gp, 25-14=39)
Defense: Anne Schleper, Sr., University of Minnesota (St. Cloud, MN) (28 gp, 4-19=23)
Defense: Megan Bozek, Jr., University of Minnesota (Buffalo Grove, IL) (28 gp, 10-23=33)
Goaltender: Zuzana Tomcikova, Sr., Bemidji State University (Bratislava, Slovakia) (10-15-2, 2.43, .929)
All-WCHA Second Team
Forward: Jen Schoullis, Sr., University of Minnesota (Erie, PA) (27 gp, 18-22=40)
Forward: Amanda Kessel, So., University of Minnesota (Madison, WI) (28 gp, 17-34=51)
Defense: Monique Lamoureux-Kolls, Jr., University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND) (28 gp, 17-36=53)
Defense: Stefanie McKeough, Jr., University of Wisconsin (Carlsbad Springs, ON) (19 gp, 4-14=18)
Goaltender: Alex Rigsby, So., University of Wisconsin (Delafield, WI) (23-3-2, 1.47, .951)
All-WCHA Third Team
Forward: Michelle Karvinen, So., University of North Dakota (Rodovre, Denmark) (28 gp, 21-31=52)
Forward: Haley Irwin, Sr., University of Minnesota Duluth (Thunder Bay, ON) (26 gp, 11-32=43)
Forward: Brooke Ammerman, Sr., University of Wisconsin (River Vale, NJ) (28 gp, 20-32=52)
Defense: Montana Vichorek, Sr., Bemidji State University (Moose Lake, MN) (27 gp, 5-21=26)
Defense: Jessica Wong, So., University of Minnesota Duluth (Baddeck, NS) (28 gp, 7-15=22)
Goaltender: Noora Räty, Jr., University of Minnesota (Espoo, Finland) (20-5-2, 1.57, .933)
All-WCHA Rookie Team
Forward: Michelle Karvinen, So., University of North Dakota (Rodovre, Denmark) (28 gp, 21-31=52)
Forward: Jenna McParland, Fr., University of Minnesota Duluth (Schreiber, ON) (28 gp, 17-8=25)
Forward: Josefine Jakobsen, Fr., University of North Dakota (Aalborg, Denmark) (28 gp, 13-14=27)
Defense: Rachel Ramsey, Fr., University of Minnesota (Chanhassen, MN) (28 gp, 2-14=16)
Defense: Brigette Lacquette, Fr., University of Minnesota Duluth (Mallard, MB) (28 gp, 3-12=15)
Goaltender: Julie Friend, Fr., St. Cloud State University (Minnetonka, MN) (4-12-0, 4.79, .872)
98 Student-Athletes Representing All Eight Women's Member Institutions Earn 2011-12 All-WCHA Academic Team Honors
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today (March 1) proudly announced that 98 student-athletes, representing all eight women's member institutions, have earned All-WCHA Academic Team honors for 2011-12.
To qualifty for the All-WCHA Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed one year of eligibility at their present institution prior to the current academic year and have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for the previous two semesters or three quarters. *indicates repeat honoree from 2010-11.
Bemidji State University: *Molly Arola (Jr., Walker, MN); Allie Duellman (So., Maplewood, MN); Alex Ehlert (So., Portage, WI); *Emily Erickson (Jr., Coleraine, MN); *Sadie Lundquist (Jr., Cloquet, MN); *Alana McElinney (Sr., Calgary, AB); Emily McKnight (So., Roland, MB); *Zuzana Tomcikova (Sr., Bratislava, Slovakia); *Montana Vichorek (Sr., Moose Lake, MN); *Erika Wheelhouse (Jr., Crookston, MN); *Marlee Wheelhouse (Sr., Crookston, MN); *Abby Williams (Jr., Alexandria, MN); Danielle Williams (So., Waconia, MN); *Lauren Williams (Sr., Eagan, MN).
University of Minnesota: Bethany Brausen (So., Little Canada, MN); Sarah Davis (So., Paradise, NL); *Samantha Downey (Jr., Hermantown, MN); *Sarah Erickson (Sr., Roseau, MN); Katie Frischmann (Jr., Rochester, MN); Baylee Gillanders (So., Kyle, SK); *Alyssa Grogan (Sr., Eagan, MN); *Mira Jalosuo (Jr., Lieksa, Finland); Amanda Kessel (So., Madison WI); *Becky Kortum (Jr., Minnetonka, MN); *Nikki Ludwigson (Sr., Bloomington, MN); *Noora Räty (Jr., Espoo, Finland); *Anne Schleper (Sr., St. Cloud, MN); Kelly Terry (So., Whitby, ON).
University of Minnesota Duluth: *Kacy Ambroz (Sr., New Prague, MN); *Audrey Cournoyer (Jr., Montreal QC); *Gina Dodge (Jr., Duluth, MN); Brienna Gillanders (So., Kyle, SK); *Jennifer Harss (Jr., Rieden, Germany); *Haley Irwin (Sr., Thunder Bay, ON); Noora Jaakkola (So., Toijola, Finland); Jamie Kenyon (So., Sparta, WI); *Mariia Posa (Jr., Helsinki, Finland); *Lana Steck (Sr., Winnipeg, MB); *Vanessa Thibault (Jr., Lachine, QC); *Katherine Wilson (Jr., Winnipeg, MB); *Pernilla Winberg (Jr., Malmo, Sweden).
Minnesota State University, Mankato: *Alli Altmann (Sr., Eagan, MN); *Emilia Andersson (Jr., Stockholm, Sweden); Elisabeth Hewett (So., Oak Bluff, MB); Melissa Klippenstein (So., Neubergthal, MB); *Ariel Mackley (Sr., Burnsville, MN); *Erika Magnusson (Jr., Fergus Falls, MN); *Jackie Otto (Sr., Lake Zurich, IL); Kathleen Rogan (So., Vancouver, BC); *Lauren Smith (Jr., Burnsville, MN).
University of North Dakota: *Kayla Berg (So., Fargo, ND); *Jorid Dagfinrud (Jr., Sarpsborg, Norway); *Ashley Furia (Jr., Sedalia, CO); *Megan Gilbert (Jr., Andover, MN); *Ashley Holmes (Sr., Miltona, MN); Kelsey Ketcher (Sr., Mound, MN); *Jocelyne Lamoureux (Jr., Grand Forks, ND); *Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Jr., Grand Forks, ND); *Mary Loken (Jr., Roseau, MN); *Margot Miller (Sr., West Bloomfield, MI); Stephanie Ney (Sr., 100 Mile House, BC); *Allison Parizek (Jr., Minot, ND); Michelle Bonapace-Potvin (Fr., Royn-Noranda, QC); *Jordan Slavin (Jr., Erie, CO); *Alyssa Weibe (Sr., Saskatoon, SK).
Ohio State University: Becky Allis (So., West Olive, MI); *Brittany Carlson (Sr., Hudson, WI); *Melissa Feste (Sr., Bloomington, MN); Tina Hollowell (Jr., Clinton Township, MI); Chelsea Knapp (So., York, NY); Madison Marcotte (So., White Bear Lake, MN); *Liz Rizzo (Jr., Glens Falls, NY); *Paige Semenza (Jr., Pittston, PA); *Natalie Spooner (Sr., Scarborough, ON); Lisa Steffes (So., Amhertsburg, ON); Annie Svedin (So., Soraker, Sweden); *Minttu Tuominen (Jr., Espoo, Finland); *Kelly Wild (Sr., Mendota Heights, MN).
St. Cloud State University: *Katie Allen (Jr., Red Deer, AB); Sydney Burghardt (So., Medicine Hat, AB); *Callie Dahl (Jr., Stillwater, MN); *Anna Donlan (Jr., Hillsboro, WI); Julia Gilbert (So., Hermantown, MN); *Kylie Lane (Jr., Roseau, MN); *Lisa Martinson (Jr., St. Louis Park, MN); Amanda Monkman (So., Roseau, MN); Amy Olson (So., Roseau, MN); *Haylea Schmid (Jr., Oak Grove, MN); *Brittany Toor (Sr., Hartland, MI); *Tayler VanDenakker (Sr., Winnipeg, MB); Jocelyn Zabrick, (Jr., Airdrie, AB).
University of Wisconsin: Brittany Ammerman (So., River Vale, NJ); Natalie Berg (So., Minnetonka, MN); Brittany Haverstock (Sr., Halifax, NS); *Alev Kelter (Jr., Eagle River, AK); *Stefanie McKeough (Jr., Carlsbad Springs, ON); *Carolyne Prévost (Sr., Sarnia, ON); Alex Rigsby (So., Delafield, WI).
