Wisconsin Wins NCAA Women's Frozen Four
March 27, 2006
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Madison, Wis. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association's regular season and tournament champion, Wisconsin, captured the 2006 NCAA Women's Frozen Four title with a 3-0 win over Minnesota Sunday. It is the first NCAA title for Wisconsin, coming in its first Frozen Four appearance, and the sixth-straight won by a WCHA member institution. Since the inception of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four in 2001, three different WCHA teams have won the title. Minnesota Duluth won the first three in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Minnesota took home the titles in 2004 and 2005 and Wisconsin won this year's crown.
Wisconsin opened the 2006 Frozen Four with a 1-0 win over St. Lawrence in the first semifinal game. Tia Hanson scored the only goal of the game at 5:22 of the third period. Goaltender Jessie Vetter made 27 saves while earning the shutout victory. Minnesota defeated top-ranked New Hampshire, 5-4, in the second semifinal game. Bobbi Ross had four goals, including one on a penalty shot, to lead the Gophers' offensively. Becky Wacker added Minnesota's other goal while goaltender Brittony Chartier had 19 saves in the win.
The championship game marked the sixth meeting this season between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Badgers held a 5-1 advantage in the season series, including winning the most recent meeting, 4-1, in the 2006 WCHA Playoff Championship game. In Sunday's NCAA title game, Wisconsin's Jinelle Zaugg opened the scoring with a power play goal at 9:46 of the first period. Grace Hutchins extended the Badgers' first period lead with a goal at 10:26 to give the Badgers' a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Zaugg notched her second power play goal of the game at 9:08 of the second period, capping the Badgers' scoring. Vetter made 31 saves in earning her second straight shutout victory.
Vetter, Zaugg, and Ross along with Minnesota's Ashley Albrecht, Wisconsin's Bobbi Jo Slusar and New Hampshire's Jennifer Hitchcock were named to the All-Tournament Team. Vetter became the first freshman and first goaltender in tournament history to be named the Most Outstanding Player.
For the second straight year, the WCHA is also home to the Patty Kazmaier Award recipient as Wisconsin's Sara Bauer was named the top player in women's college hockey. Last year, Minnesota's Krissy Wendell became the first WCHA player to receive the award. Minnesota Duluth's Riitta Schaublin was one of the three finalists for the award this year along with St. Lawrence's Sabrina Harbec.
The WCHA had four players named to the 2006 AHCA All-America team with three first-team selections and one second-team honoree. Minnesota Duluth's Riitta Schaublin was selected as the first-team goaltender while Wisconsin's Bobbi Jo Slusar (defense) and Sara Bauer (forward) were also named to the first-team. Ohio State's Jana Harrigan (forward) was the league's lone second-team selection.
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