2008–09 WCHA women's ice hockey season

The 2008-09 WCHA hockey season was the 10th season of WCHA women's play. Since its inception, WCHA teams have won the national championship every season. The defending NCAA champions were the WCHA's Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

Season outlook

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  • Sept 23, 2008: The University of Minnesota Duluth, was the pre-season choice to repeat as Western Collegiate Hockey Association champions in 2008–09, according to league coaches.

The Bulldogs received five first-place votes and a total of 47 points in the pre-season poll (league coaches could not vote for their own team). The Bulldogs edged the Minnesota Golden Gophers, which grabbed two first-place votes, and the Wisconsin Badgers, which had one 1st place vote.[1] UMD, Wisconsin and Minnesota were ranked first through third in the national USA Today/US Hockey Magazine preseason college hockey poll as well. For the second consecutive season, league-member coaches have picked Minnesota Golden Gophers senior forward Gigi Marvin as the pre-season most valuable player. Four other players: Wisconsin forwards Meghan Duggan and Erika Lawler plus Minnesota Duluth goaltender Kim Martin, a Patty Kazmaier finalist last year, and teammate Haley Irwin, the forward who led the league in scoring with 60 points last season - also received votes for preseason MVP. Forward Pernilla Winberg of the University of Minnesota Duluth was selected as the pre-season WCHA Rookie of the Year. Others receiving votes included Jocelyne Lamoureux, a forward from the University of Minnesota.[2]

Regular season

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  • Gigi Marvin tallied three points in the 4–3 overtime win over Minnesota Duluth (October 10). She netted three goals in the series sweep over St. Cloud State to earn her first WCHA Offensive Player of the Week Honors. Her second conference honor was received when she scored four goals en route to a sweep over North Dakota (December 5–6). In a 5–2 win over North Dakota, she recorded her first career hat trick. The first series of the second half of the season was notable for Marvin. She had a career-high six points in one game while accumulating eight total points in the series sweep over Niagara (January 3–4). On January 9, she had three points in a 9–2 win over. She scored a goal and three assists in the 9–1 win over Minnesota State on January 30. In the series sweep over North Dakota from February 13–14, she had a goal and two assists in the series sweep over North Dakota. In the St. Cloud State Series, which was played from February 20–21, she added three goals and an assist. It was in the St. Cloud State Series that the Gophers clinched the WCHA regular season championship.[3]
  • As a freshman in 2008–09, Jocelyne Lamoureux finished second on the team and fourth in the nation with 65 points (28 goals, 37 assists). The Gophers appeared in the NCAA Women's Frozen Four. At season's end, she was earned All-WCHA First Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team honors.
  • In 2008–09, Monique Lamoureux was a freshman for the Gophers but was the team's third leading goal scorer, and a second team All-America selection.[4] By mid-February 2009, Monique was leading the nation with 64 points on 32 assists and 32 goals.[5] By season’ end, she ranked third in the NCAA and first among rookies with 75 points in 40 games (39 goals, 36 assists). She ranked second in the nation with five shorthanded goals and tied for third with eight game-winners. She participated in her first Frozen Four that season. In addition, she was the WCHA scoring champion, and WCHA Rookie of the Year. She was the only freshman to be named a top-10 finalist for Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.[6]

Postseason

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Jessie Vetter was the WCHA Final Face-Off MVP as Wisconsin won the League championship and garnered the top seed going into the NCAA championships.[7]

Awards and honors

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  • Patty Kazmaier Award, Jessie Vetter, Wisconsin
  • WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, Melanie Gagnon, Senior, Defenseman, Minnesota
  • WCHA Rookie of the Year, Monique Lamoureux, Freshman, Forward, Minnesota
  • WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year, Gigi Marvin, Senior, Forward, Minnesota[8]
  • WCHA Coach of the Year (tie), Brad Frost, Head Coach, Minnesota and Mark Johnson, Head Coach, Wisconsin
  • WCHA Scoring Champion, Monique Lamoureux, Freshman, Forward, Minnesota
  • WCHA Goaltending Champion, Alyssa Grogan, Freshman, Goaltender, Minnesota [9]

All-WCHA Teams

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  • First Team
Player Class Position School
Hilary Knight Sophomore Forward Wisconsin
Monique Lamoureux Freshman Forward Wisconsin
Jocelyne Lamoureux Freshman Forward Wisconsin
Melanie Gagnon Senior Defense Wisconsin
Jocelyne Larocque Sophomore Defense Minnesota Duluth
Jessie Vetter Senior Goaltender Wisconsin
  • Second Team
Player Class Position School
Gigi Marvin Senior Forward Minnesota
Erika Lawler Senior Forward Wisconsin
Elin Holmlöv Junior Forward Minnesota Duluth
Rachael Drazan Senior Defense Minnesota
Anne Schleper Freshman Defense Minnesota
Zuzana Tomcikova Freshman Goaltender Bemidji State
  • Third Team
Player Class Position School
Meghan Duggan Junior Forward Wisconsin
Haley Irwin Sophomore Forward Minnesota Duluth
Brooke Ammerman Freshman Forward Wisconsin
Alycia Matthews Senior Defense Wisconsin
Jaime Rasmussen Freshman Defense Minnesota Duluth
Kim Martin Junior Goaltender Minnesota Duluth
  • All-Rookie Team
Player Position School
Brooke Ammerman Forward Wisconsin
Monique Lamoureux Forward Minnesota
Jocelyne Lamoureux Forward Minnesota
Brittany Haverstock Defense Wisconsin
Anne Schleper Defense Minnesota
Zuzana Tomcikova Goaltender Wisconsin
  • All-Academic Team
Player Class School
Kelli Blankenship Junior Minnesota
Rachael Drazan Senior Minnesota
Brittany Francis Junior Minnesota
Melanie Gagnon Senior Minnesota
Gigi Marvin Senior Minnesota
Michelle Maunu Junior Minnesota
Terra Rasmussen Sophomore Minnesota
Dagney Willey Senior Minnesota
Alexandra Zebro Junior Minnesota

Team of the Decade

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Player Position School Nationality
Sara Bauer Forward Wisconsin   Canada
Tessa Bonhomme Defense Ohio State   Canada
Ronda Curtin Defense Minnesota   United States
Natalie Darwitz Forward Minnesota   United States
Molly Engstrom Defense Wisconsin   United States
Caroline Ouellette Forward Minnesota-Duluth   Canada
Jenny Schmidgall-Potter Forward Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth   United States
Maria Rooth Forward Minnesota-Duluth   Sweden
Jessie Vetter Goaltender Wisconsin   United States
Krissy Wendell Forward Minnesota   United States

[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ http://www.wcha.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/092308aab.html[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ http://www.wcha.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/092308aab.html[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Gigi Marvin Bio - Gophersports.com Official Web Site of University of Minnesota Athletics". Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Sports Illustrated, House of Hockey by Garry Smith, February 1, 2010, p.54
  5. ^ "USA Hockey". Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  6. ^ "USA Hockey". Archived from the original on January 24, 2010.
  7. ^ http://www.insidehockey.com/columns/3261[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "- Gophersports.com Official Web Site of University of Minnesota Athletics". Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  9. ^ "- Gophersports.com Official Web Site of University of Minnesota Athletics". Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  10. ^ http://www.wcha.com/about/wcha-about.html[permanent dead link]