Bulldog All-WCHA Team Members, season awards!

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced it’s women’s all-conference team today (March 1) and the University of Minnesota Duluth had five players earn WCHA accolades. The Bulldogs also had nine players named to the All-WCHA Academic Team for the 2006-07 season.

Senior captain Noemie Marin, a forward from Acton-Vale, Que., was named to the All-WCHA First Team for the first time in her career. She finished the regular season tied for 11th in the NCAA with 42 points in 32 games. She tied for 16th in the country with 21 goals, tied for 23rd with 21 assists and tied for 16th overall with 1.31 points per game. Marin was second in the WCHA with 41 points in 28 league games. She led the league with 21 goals and tied for fifth with 20 assists.

Kim Martin, a freshman goalie from Stockholm, Sweden, earned All-WCHA Second Team honors in her rookie season. Martin finished the regular season second in league play with a 1.10 goals against average and first in save percentage with a .960. She went 10-2-2 during regular season conference action.

Senior forward Jessica Koizumi earned her first All-WCHA Third Team selection, having previously been named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team her freshman campaign in 2003-04. Koizumi finished sixth in the WCHA in point scoring with 32 points in 25 games. Despite missing a few games due to injury she still managed to score 15 goals and 17 assists in league play this season.

Senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin has been named the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. Schaublin, from Basel, Switzerland, ranked among the league goaltending leaders. She finished the regular season ranked third with a .938 save percentage and was fourth with a 1.59 goals against average. Schaublin was a Patty Kazmaier finalist last season and completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics with a 3.94 grade point average. This season marks her third straight-selection to the All-WCHA Academic Team.

She is pursuing her degree in the Minnesota Duluth Math Department's master's program during her final year of athletic eligibility and had a 4.0 GPA last semester while serving as a teacher’s assistant for calculus II class. She plans to finish graduate school in December, 2007 and eventually obtain a PhD in economics. Off the ice, she participates in numerous community outreach programs and also shares her talents as a coach to youth goalies in the Duluth area.

UMD landed two players on the All-WCHA Rookie Team this season, as forward Saara Tuominen and goaltender Kim Martin earned rookie honors. Tuominen, a Ylojarvi, Finland, native, scored 31 points in regular season league play to finish tied for seventh. She had eight goals and 23 assists in conference games. Her offensive talent placed her second in freshman scoring in league action.

The conference head coaches, assistant 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 faculty representatives.

The Bulldogs also landed nine players on the 2006-07 All-WCHA Academic Team. The names of those players are listed after the first team, second team, and third team award recipients.

2007 Women’s Awards

All-WCHA First Team
Forwards: Sara Bauer, Wisconsin
Noemie Marin, Minnesota Duluth
Gigi Marvin, Minnesota

Defense: Meaghan Mikkelson, Wisconsin
Tessa Bonhomme, Ohio State

Goaltender: Jessie Vetter, Wisconsin

All-WCHA Second Team
Forwards: Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin
Erin Keys, Ohio State
Jinelle Zaugg, Wisconsin

Defense: Amber Bowman, Ohio State
Bobbi-Jo Slusar, Wisconsin

Goaltender: Kim Martin, Minnesota Duluth

All-WCHA Third Team
Forwards: Jessica Koizumi, Minnesota Duluth
Erika Lawler, Wisconsin
Bobbi Ross, Minnesota

Defense: Melanie Gagnon, Minnesota
Lisa Chesson, Ohio State

Goaltender: Christine Dufour, Wisconsin

All-WCHA Rookie Team
Forwards: Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin
Holly Roberts, St. Cloud State
Saara Tuominen, Minnesota Duluth

Defense: Holly Snyder, Minnesota State
Michelle Maunu, Minnesota and Ashley Lynch, North Dakota (tie)

Goaltender: Kim Martin, Minnesota Duluth

Player of the Year
Sara Bauer, Wisconsin

Rookie of the Year
Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin

Coach of the Year
Mark Johnson, Wisconsin

Defensive Player of the Year
Meghan Mikkelson, Wisconsin

Outstanding Student Athlete of the Year
Riitta Schaublin, Minnesota Duluth

Goaltending Champion
Christine Dufour, Wisconsin

Scoring Champion
Sara Bauer, Wisconsin

2006-07 All-WCHA Academic Team

UMD: Karine Demeule, Jr.; Kirsti Hakala, So.; Jessica Koizumi, Sr.; Michaela Lanzl, So.; Noemie Marin, Sr.; Tawni Mattila, So.; Riitta Schaublin, Sr.; Myriam Trepanier, So.; Suvi Vacker, Sr.

Bemidji State: Haley Balcom, Jr.; Emily Brookshaw, Jr.; Brooke Collins, So.; Tara Hiscock, Jr.; Lisa Kissick, So.; Jaime LeDuc, Jr.; Jessica Pullar, Jr.; Monica Rawlings, So.; Kate Robinson, Sr.; Helena Tageson, Sr.; Nina Zieganhals, Sr.

Minnesota: Lindsay Block, So.; Gigi Marvin, So.; Erica McKenzie, Jr.; Anya Miller, Jr.; Andrea Nichols, Sr.; Bobbi Ross, Jr.; Maggie Souba, Sr.; Dagney Willey, So.

Minnesota State: Kristina Bunker, Jr.; Jodi Helminen, Jr.; Jenna Hewitt, So.; Megan Jedinak, Sr.; Britni Kehler, Jr.; Lindsay Macy, Jr.; Samantha Miller, Sr.; Richelle St. Croix, Sr.; Amanda Stohr, Jr.; Andreanne Thibault, Jr.; Shera Vis, Sr.; Ashley Young, So.

North Dakota: Aynsley Allen, Sr.; Christey Allen, Jr.; Christine Carlson, So.; Alexia Gagnon-LaPlante, Sr.; Casie Hanson, So.; Alyssa Johnson, So.; Randi Motsko, So.

Ohio State: Olivia Antognoli, So.; Liana Bonanno, So.; Amber Bowman, Sr.; Jody Heywood, Jr.; Megan Hostasek, So.; Erin Keys, Jr.; Whitney Miller, So.; Mallory Peckels, Jr.; Lacey Schultz, Sr.; Krysta Skarda, Sr.; Erika Vanderveer, Sr.

St. Cloud State: Bobbie Anderson, Jr.; Hailey Clarkson, Sr.; Jacqueline Jensen, Sr.; Abby Krause, Jr.; Laura Fast, Jr.; Tricia Fast, Sr.; Marie-Michel Lemieux, Jr.; Denelle Maguet, Sr.; Michelle Moen, So.; Sammy Nixon, So.; Brita Schroeder, So.; Lauri St. Jacques, Sr.

Wisconsin: Sara Bauer, Sr.; Rachel Bible, So.; Angie Keseley, So.; Heidi Kletzien, Sr.; Meaghan Mikkelson, Sr.; Phoebe Monteleone, Sr.; Jessie Vetter, So.