WCHA Announces 2003-04 Award Winners
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March 12, 2004
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Madison, Wis. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced its 2003-04 award winners tonight at the annual WCHA Women's Awards Banquet at the Radisson Metrodome. Minnesota Duluth?s Jenny Potter was the 2003-04 WCHA Scoring Champion as she led the league with 57 points. Potter scored a league-high 28 goals and added 29 assists in 24 league games. Wisconsin's Meghan Horras earned the 2003-04 WCHA Goaltending Award as she led the league with a 1.23 goals against average. Horras posted an 8-3-1 record and a .941 save percentage.
The 2003-04 WCHA Defensive Player of the Year is Wisconsin's Molly Engstrom. A junior defenseman from Siren, Wis., Engstrom ranked fourth among league defensemen in scoring with 15 points. She also ranked among the top 20 in scoring and tied for 10th with 13 assists. Engstrom, who ranks among the team scoring leaders, finished the season with a +20 rating and led the team in blocked shots. She also helped the Badgers rank as the top defensive team in the league, allowing opponents just 1.42 goals per game.
Wisconsin's Sara Bauer, a freshman forward from St. Catherines, Ontario, was named the 2003-04 WCHA Rookie of the Year. Bauer, also named to the All-WCHA Second Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team, ranked 10th in the league in scoring with 21 points. She also led all freshmen in scoring with 21 points. She tied for seventh with 15 assists while leading her team in goals and points in WCHA games with 21 and in points in overall games with 31.
Ohio State's Emma Laaksonen was named the 2003-04 WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year. The senior from Espoo, Finland, owns a 3.55 grade point average in the Business Finance program. On the ice, she was team captain, a position that is highly respected for fairness, work ethic, high values and leadership. Off the ice, she unselfishly participates in numerous community service events on campus and within the community. Laaksonen has volunteered for events sponsored by the Downs Syndrome, Big Brothers/Sisters of America, reading programs for inner city youth, teaching disabled children how to play sled hockey and many others.
The 2003-04 WCHA Player of the Year was Minnesota's Krissy Wendell. Wendell, a sophomore from Brooklyn Park, Minn., ranked third in the league in scoring with 45 points. She ranked second with 22 goals and tied for fourth with 23 assists. She tied for the league-lead with eight power play goals, four short-handed goals and seven game-winning goals. Wendell also ranked second with 17 points on the power play and tied for third in the league with four short-handed points. She led her team with 45 points in 24 league games and led the Gophers in overall scoring with 45 points coming on 22 goals and 23 assists.
Minnesota State's Jeff Vizenor was selected by his peers as the 2003-04 WCHA Coach of the Year. Vizenor guided the Mavericks to a tie for fourth in the WCHA with a 9-11-4 record after finishing seventh in 2002-03 with a 3-18-3 mark. The Mavericks also made their first-ever appearances both the USCHO.com and USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Womens' Coaches Polls. Minnesota State is also making its first trip to the WCHA Women's Final Five under the current format.
The conference head coaches and sports information directors vote for the WCHA award winners. The WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Award was chosen solely by the head coaches, while the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year was selected by the institutional representatives.
2003-04 All-WCHA First Team
| Position | Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| Forward | Krissy Wendell | Minnesota | So. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. |
| Forward | Jenny Potter | Minnesota Duluth | Sr. | Edina, Minn. |
| Forward | Natalie Darwitz | Minnesota | So. | Eagan, Minn. |
| Defense | Molly Engstrom | Wisconsin | Jr. | Siren, Wis. |
| Defense | Julianne Vasichek | Minnesota Duluth | Jr. | Great Falls, Mont. |
| Goaltender | Shari Vogt | Minnesota State | Sr. | Richmond, Minn. |
2003-04 All-WCHA Second Team
| Position | Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| Forward | Caroline Ouellette | Minnesota Duluth | Jr. | Montreal, Quebec |
| Forward | Sara Bauer | Wisconsin | Fr. | St. Catherines, Ontario |
| Forward | Karen Rickard | Wisconsin | Sr. | Bowmanville, Ontario |
| Defense | Carla MacLeod | Wisconsin | Jr. | Calgary, Alberta |
| Defense | Kobi Kawamoto | St. Cloud State | Sr. | Surrey, British Columbia |
| Goaltender | Meghan Horras | Wisconsin | So. | Appleton, Wis. |
2003-04 All-WCHA Rookie Team
| Position | Name | School | Hometown |
| Forward | Jessica Koizumi | Minnesota Duluth | Simi Valley, Calif. |
| Forward | Sara Bauer | Wisconsin | St. Catherines, Ontario |
| Forward | Noemie Marin | Minnesota Duluth | St. Myacinthe, Quebec |
| Defense | Tessa Bonhomme | Ohio State | Sudbury, Ontario |
| Defense | Bobbi Jo Slusar | Wisconsin | Swift Current, Saskatchewan |
| Goaltender | Christine Dufour | Wisconsin | Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec |
2003-04 WCHA Scoring Champion
Jenny Potter, Minnesota Duluth
2003-04 WCHA Goaltending Champion
Meghan Horras, Wisconsin
2003-04 WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Molly Engstrom, Wisconsin
2003-04 WCHA Rookie of the Year
Sara Bauer, Wisconsin
2003-04 WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year
Emma Laaksonen, Ohio State
2003-04 WCHA Player of the Year
Krissy Wendell, Minnesota
2003-04 WCHA Coach of the Year
Jeff Vizenor, Minnesota State
2003-04 WCHA All-Academic Team
To earn a position on the WCHA ll-Academic Team, each player must meet the following criteria: 1) Must have completed at least one year of eligibility at present institution, prior to current academic year; 2) Have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for the two previous semesters or three quarters; 3) Have competed in at least one-half of her institution?s varsity intercollegiate ice hockey games during the current season (goaltenders must have played in 33 percent of all games).
Bemidji State University (7)
Mandy Bambrough, Sr., D, Toronto, Ontario; Anik Cote, Sr., G, Grand Falls, New Brunswick; Guylaine Hache, Sr., F, Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick; Jill Luebke, So., G, Neenah, Wis.; Ashley Medori, Jr., D, Onoway, Alberta; Cassi Petsch, So., F, New Prague, Minn.; Jenny Schnickel, Jr., D, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Minnesota State University Mankato (3)
Jennifer Jonsson, So., D, Oakview, Minn.; Amanda Osborn, Sr., F, Briar, Wash.; Shari Vogt, Sr., G, Richmond, Minn.
University of Minnesota Duluth (6)
Tricia Guest, Sr., F, Estevan, Saskatchewan; Shannon Kasparek, Jr., G, South Lyon, Mich.; Satu Kiipeli, Sr., D, Oulu, Finland; Caroline Ouellette, Jr., F, Montreal, Quebec; Jenny Potter, Sr., F, Edina, Minn.; Julianne Vasichek, Jr., D, Great Falls, Mont.
University of Minnesota Twin Cities (9)
Kelsey Bills, Sr., F/D, Carstairs, Alberta; Chelsey Brodt, So., D, Roseville, Minn.; Melissa Coulombe, Sr., D, St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba; Natalie Darwitz, So., F, Eagan, Minn.; Allison Sanchez, So., F/D, St. Paul, Minn.; Kelly Stephens, Jr., F, Shoreline, Wash.; Noelle Sutton, Jr., F, Maple Grove, Minn.; Stacy Troumbly, Jr., D, Bovey, Minn.; Krissy Wendell, So., F, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
The Ohio State University (4)
Jeni Creary, Jr., W, Shell Lake, Saskatchewan; Melissa Glaser, Jr., G, Rockford, Ill.; Emma Laaksonen, Sr., D, Espoo, Finland; Katie Sershen, So., D, Woodbury, Minn.
St. Cloud State (3)
Ellen Brinkman, Sr., G, North St. Paul, Minn.; Randie Jelinski, So., D, Regina, Saskatchewan; Rachel Solgon, So., F, Tucson, Ariz.
University of Wisconsin (6)
Nikki Burish, So., F, Madison, Wis.; Sharon Cole, So., F, Bloomington, Minn.; Kathryn Greaves, Sr., D/F, Mentor, Ohio; Stephanie Millar, Sr., F, Hudson, Wis.; Nicole Uliasz, Jr., D, Chalfont, Pa.; Amy Vermeulen, Jr., F, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
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