WCHA announces 2014-15 postseason awards

Individual award winners, All-WCHA teams and All-Academic teams honored

Per WCHA release:

EDINA, Minn. – March 4, 2015 – The quartet of schools that will vie for the league’s postseason title this weekend at the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF are all represented in the women’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association major individual postseason awards, as announced today by Commissioner Aaron Kemp.

For the second straight year, Minnesota’s Hannah Brandt was named WCHA Player of the Year. Brandt’s Gophers teammate, Rachel Ramsey, also repeated as Defensive Player of the Year. Wisconsin rookie Annie Pankowski captured Rookie of the Year honors, while North Dakota’s Shelby Amsley-Benzie was voted Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year. Jim Scanlan, who guided Bemidji State to the FINAL FACE-OFF in his first year at the helm, earned Coach of the Year honors.

WCHA Player of the Year – Hannah Brandt; Jr., F, Minnesota (Vadnais Heights, Minn.)

Brandt, a junior from Vadnais Heights, Minn., scored 21 goals and tallied 29 assists for a WCHA-best 50 points in 27 league games for regular season champion Minnesota. Entering the FINAL FACE-OFF, she is second in the nation with 67 total points (31 goals and 36 assists) and is third with an average of 1.86 points per contest. Brandt, who repeated as the conference scoring champion and leads the nation with a +65 on-ice rating, was named a top-10 finalist for the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

WCHA Defensive Player of the Year – Rachel Ramsey; Sr., F, Minnesota (Chanhassen, Minn.)
Ramsey, a senior from Chanhassen, Minn., ranks second among all NCAA defensemen with 31 points (eight goals and 23 assists) and third with an average of 0.84 points per game. Twenty-four of her points (seven goals, 17 assists) came during league play for the Gophers. The daughter of former U.S. Olympian, NHL player and assistant coach Mike Ramsey, Rachel is also among the top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

WCHA Rookie of the Year – Annie Pankowski; Fr., F, Wisconsin (Laguna Hills, Calif.)
Pankowski enjoyed a stellar freshman campaign, ranking second among all NCAA rookies (and 16^th overall) with 1.11 points per contest. The Laguna Hills, Calif. native leads the third-ranked Badgers with 18 goals and 39 points overall. Thirteen of her goals, along with 13 assists, came in her 27 WCHA games.

WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year – Shelby Amsley-Benzie; Jr., North Dakota (Warroad, Minn.)
Amsley-Benzie, the only goaltender among the top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, was honored for her stellar achievements on the ice and in the classroom. The junior from Warroad, Minn. is in a combined degree program within UND’s College of Engineering and Mines, which will allow her to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science with a major in chemical engineering over the course of five years. A three-time recipient of the WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award, Amsley-Benzie has also been named to the University of North Dakota’s President’s Honor Roll for six consecutive semesters. She currently leads the nation with a .954 save percentage and was the WCHA goaltending champion with a 1.17 goals against average in league play

WCHA Coach of the Year – Jim Scanlan, Bemidji State
In his first season of college coaching, Scanlan has led Bemidji State to program single-season records for overall victories and league wins, posting a 20-16-1 overall record and 13-14-1 mark in WCHA play. This weekend, Scanlan will guide the Beavers into just their second ever WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF.

All-WCHA First Team
Brandt, a three-time member of the All-WCHA First Team, is joined at forward on the all-league first team by teammate Dani Cameranesi, a sophomore from Plymouth, Minn. who tallied 17 goals, 26 assists and 43 points in WCHA play; and, Wisconsin’s Blayre Turnbull, a senior from Stellarton, Nova Scotia who had 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in league competition. Turnbull was an All-WCHA Third Team member last season. Cameranesi, a member of the WCHA All-Rookie team in 2013-14, is one of four all-league players who are nominated as a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist.

The All-WCHA First Team for 2014-15 also includes Ramsey and fellow Minnesota defenseman Lee Stecklein, a sophomore from Roseville, Minn. It is the second straight year that Ramsey has been named to the All-WCHA First Team, while Stecklein – a member of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team – scored four goals and added 12 assists for 16 points.

Two players – Amsley-Benzie and Bemidji State’s Brittni Mowat – tied for the All-WCHA First Team goaltender. Mowat, a sophomore from Glenboro, Manitoba, was a member of the league’s All-Rookie team last season. She enters the FINAL FACE-OFF third in the country with a .945 save percentage to accompany a 18-12-1 record and 1.66 goals against average.

All-WCHA Second Team

The 2014-15 All-WCHA Second Team includes Wisconsin teammates Pankowski and Brittany Ammerman, along with Minnesota Duluth’s Zoe Hickel. Ammerman, who also earned All-WCHA Second Team accolades last season, scored 12 goals and recorded 16 assists for 28 points in conference games. Hickel, a senior from Anchorage, Alaska, logged 11 goals and 11 assists (22 points) in WCHA competition.

The defensemen are Minnesota’s Milica McMillen, a sophomore from St. Paul, Minn., and Minnesota Duluth’s Brigette Lacquette – both of whom tied for second in scoring among WCHA blueliners. McMillen was a first team All-WCHA member last season finished with 20 points (six goals and 14 assists) in league play. Lacquette, a senior from Mallard, Manitoba, was a second team All-WCHA defender in 2012-13 and a member of the All-Rookie team as a freshman. She netted five goals and had 15 assists (20 points) in WCHA games.

All-WCHA Third Team

The forwards on the 2014-15 All-WCHA Third Team are Minnesota’s Rachael Bona, a senior from Coon Rapids, Minn. who scored seven goals, added 16 assists and finished with 23 points; North Dakota’s Becca Kohler, a junior from St. Thomas, Ontario who had eight goals, 15 assists and 23 points; and, Wisconsin’s Karley Sylvester, a senior forward from Warroad, Minn. who finished with 25 points (seven goals and 18 assists).

Wisconsin senior Courtney Burke and North Dakota sophomore Halli Kryzaniak are the second team defensemen. Burke, a native of Albany, N.Y. who was a second team All-WCHA selection a season ago, finished with four goals and 15 assists (19 points). Kryzaniak, who hails from Neepawa, Manitoba, scored a pair of goals and logged six assists.

The third-team goaltender is Wisconsin sophomore Ann-Renée Desbiens. The native of La Malbaie, Quebec ranks second among NCAA goaltenders with 13 shutouts, including a league-best 10 blankings in WCHA play. She finished second in the WCHA with a 1.28 goals against average, part of an overall 1.14 mark that ranks third nationally.

WCHA All-Rookie Team

Rookie of the Year Pankowski headlines the forwards on the 2014-15 WCHA All-Rookie team, along with teammate Emily Clark and Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek. Clark, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, compiled 22 WCHA points in her freshman campaign (10 goals and 12 assists). Pannek, from Plymouth, Minn., was the top-scoring rookie in the WCHA this season with 27 points (five goals and 22 assists).

Minnesota’s Sydney Baldwin (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Bemidji State’s Alexis Joyce (Lakeville, Minn.) are the All-Rookie defenseman. Ohio State’s Kassidy Sauve (Whitby, Ontario), who recorded four WCHA shutouts, is the goaltender.

About the 2014-15 WCHA Awards

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.

All-Academic Team

The conference also released the 2014-15 All-WCHA Academic Team, comprised of 91 student-athletes representing all eight WCHA women’s-member institutions.

2014-15 WCHA Awards

• Player of the Year – Hannah Brandt, Jr., F, Minnesota
• Defensive Player of the Year – Rachel Ramsey, Sr., D, Minnesota
• Rookie of the Year – Annie Pankowski, Fr., F, Wisconsin
• Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year – Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Jr., G, North Dakota
• Scoring Champion – Hannah Brandt, Jr., F, Minnesota
• Goaltending Champion – Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Jr., G, North Dakota

2014-15 All-WCHA First Team

• Forwards: Hannah Brandt, Jr., Minnesota; Dani Cameranesi, So., Minnesota; Blayre Turnbull, Sr., Wisconsin
• Defensemen: Rachel Ramsey, Sr., Minnesota; Lee Stecklein, Sr., Minnesota
• Goaltenders: Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Jr., North Dakota; Brittni Mowat, So., Bemidji State

2014-15 All-WCHA Second Team

• Forwards: Brittany Ammerman, Sr., Wisconsin; Zoe Hickel, Sr., Minnesota Duluth; Annie Pankowski, Fr., Wisconsin
• Defensemen: Milica McMillen, Jr., Minnesota; Brigette Lacquette, Sr., Minnesota Duluth

2014-15 All-WCHA Third Team

• Forwards: Rachel Bona, Sr., Minnesota; Becca Kohler, Jr., North Dakota; Karley Sylvester, Sr., Wisconsin
• Defensemen: Courtney Burke, Jr., Wisconsin; Halli Kryzaniak, So., North Dakota
• Goaltender: Ann-Renée Desbiens, So., Wisconsin

2014-15 WCHA All-Rookie Team

• Forwards: Emily Clark, Wisconsin; Annie Pankowski, Wisconsin; Kelly Pannek, Wisconsin
• Defensemen: Sydney Baldwin, Minnesota; Alexis Joyce, Bemidji State
• Goaltender: Kassidy Sauve, Ohio State

2014-15 WCHA All-Academic Team

To qualify for the WCHA All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed one year of eligibility at present institution, prior to the current academic year and have a GPA of at least 3.0 for the previous two semesters or three quarters.

Following, by team, are the ninety-one (91) 2014-15 WCHA All-Academic Team honorees: (*indicates repeat honoree)

Bemidji State University

Kaleigh Chapman (Sr., D, Virden, Manitoba); Erin Deters (RS-Fr., G, Sartell, Minn.); Carley Esse (So., D, Cloquet, Minn.); Kristine Grenier (Sr., F, St. Leon, Manitoba); Kristin Huber* (Jr., F, Kelowna, British Columbia); Madison Hutchinson (So., D, Manitou, Manitoba); Rachael Kelly (Sr., F, Rosemount, Minn.); Megan Lushanko* (Jr., F, Chisago City, Minn.); Lauren Miller (So., F, Brockville, Ontario); Hanna Moher* (Jr., F, Milton, Ontario); Brittni Mowat (So., G, Glenboro, Manitoba); Ciscely Nelson (RS-Fr., F, Roseau, Minn.); Kaitlyn Tougas* (Jr., F, Thunder Bay, Ontario); Whitney Wivoda* (Jr., F, Fairbanks, Alaska)

University of Minnesota

Rachael Bona* (Sr., F, Coon Rapids, Minn.); Hannah Brandt* (Jr., F, Vadnais Heights, Minn.); Dani Cameranesi (So., F, Plymouth, Minn.); Kelsey Cline (So., D/F, Bloomington, Minn.); Kate Flug (So. F, Roseville, Minn.); Paige Haley (So., D/F, Red Wing, Minn.); Maryanne Menefee (Jr., F, Lansing, Mich.); Meghan Lorence (F, Sr., Mounds View, Minn.); Milica McMillen (Jr., D, St. Paul, Minn.); Sidney Peters (RS-Fr., G, Geneva, Ill.); Rachel Ramsey* (Sr., D, Chanhassen, Minn.); Kate Schipper (So., F, Brooklyn Park, Minn.); Shyler Sletta* (Sr., G, Elko New Market, Minn.); Lee Stecklein (So., D, Roseville, Minn.)

University of Minnesota Duluth

Kayla Black (Jr., G, Blyth, Ontario); Brienna Gillanders* (Sr., F, Kyle, Saskatchewan); Zoe Hickel* (Sr., F, Anchorage, Alaska); Katherine McGovern (So., F, Scottsdale, Ariz.); Katerina Mrázová (So., F, Prague, Czech Republic); Lara Stalder (So., F, Luzern, Switzerland); Emma Stauber* (Sr., D, Duluth, Minn.); Tea Villilä* (Sr., D, Hyvinkaa, Finland)

Minnesota State University

Anna-Maria Fiegert (So., D, Landshut, Germany); Elisabeth Hewett (Sr., D, Oak Bluff, Manitoba); Katie Johnson* (Jr., F, Anoka, Minn.); Erin Krichiver* (Sr., G, Chicago, Ill.); Shelby Moteyunas* (Sr., D, Cicero, N.Y.); Kathleen Rogan* (Sr., F, Vancouver, British Columbia)

University of North Dakota

Shelby Amsley-Benzie* (Jr., G, Warroad, Minn.); Annie Chipman (RS-Fr., G, Winnipeg, Manitoba); Andrea Dalen* (Sr., F, Hønefoss, Norway); Meghan Dufault* (Jr., F, Winnipeg, Manitoba); Tanja Eisenschmid* (Jr., D, Kaufbeuren, Germany); Johanna Fällman* (Sr., D, Luleå, Sweden); Kayla Gardner (So., F, Warroad, Minn.); Samantha Hanson* (Jr., D, White Bear Lake, Minn.); Gracen Hirschy (So., D, Fort Wayne, Ind.); Josefine Jakobsen* (Sr., F, Aalborg, Denmark); Leah Jensen* (Jr., F, East Grand Forks, Minn.); Shannon Kaiser* (Jr., F, Crookston, Minn.); Halli Krzyzaniak (So., D, Neepawa, Manitoba); Sam LaShomb* (Jr., D, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.); Layla Marvin* (Jr., F, Warroad, Minn.); Lisa Marvin (So., F, Warroad, Minn.); Amy Menke (So., F, Shakopee, Minn.); Marissa Salo* (So., F, Grand Rapids, Minn.); Lexie Shaw (So., G, Troy, Mich.); Tori Williams* (Sr., D, The Pas, Manitoba)

Ohio State University

Kendall Curtis* (Jr., F, Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Stacy Danczak* (RS-Jr., G, Macedonia, Ohio); Kara Gust* (RS-Sr., D, Orland Park, Ill.); Claudia Kepler (So., F, Verona, Wis.); Taylor Kuehl* (Sr., F, Minnetrista, Minn.); Katie Matheny (So., F, Chesterfield, Mo.); Julia McKinnon* (Jr., F, Kelowna, British Columbia); Melani Moylan* (Jr., F, Mississauga, Ontario); Bryanna Neuwald* (RS-So., D, Oakville, Ontario); Alexa Ranahan (So., D, Salmon Arm, British Columbia); Kari Schmitt* (Sr., D, Canton, Mich.); Sara Schmitt* (Sr., D, Canton, Mich.); Kayla Sullivan* (Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas)

St. Cloud State University

Hanna Brodt* (Jr., F, Roseville, Minn.); Julie Friend* (Sr., G, Minnetonka, Minn.); Audrey Hanmer* (Sr., D, Wyoming, Minn.); Lauren Hespenheide (So., F, Shakopee, Minn.); Caroline Markström (So., D, Kovland, Sweden); Christa Moody (So., D, Battle Creek, Mich.); Abby Ness* (Sr., F, Roseau, Minn.); Payge Pena (So., F, Maple Ridge, British Columbia); Jenna Redford* (RS-So., D, Soldotna, Alaska); Vanessa Spataro* (Jr., F, Stouffville, Ontario)

University of Wisconsin

Brittany Ammerman* (RS-Sr., F, River Vale, N.J.); Ann-Renée Desbiens (So., G, La Malbaie, Quebec); Kim Drake* (Jr., F, Mosinee, Wis.); Sydney McKibbon (So., F, Oakville, Ontario); Sarah Nurse (So., F, Hamilton, Ontario); Jenny Ryan (So., D, Victor, N.Y.)