2018-19 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE 20 Week One (Games of Sept
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R 2018-19 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE 20 WEEK ONE (GAMES OF SEPT. 28-30, 2018) / wcha.com CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE YEARS @wcha_whockey @wcha_whockey /WCHAWomensHockey FloHockey.tv CONTacT: MATT HODSON / O: 952-681-7668 / C: 612-801-2808 / [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACEOFF • 20 Years of Excellence: The Women's League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is celebrating HOCKEY ASSOCIATION its 20th Anniversary season in 2018-19, honoring 20 Years of Excellence as the nation's premier women's college • FOUNDED 1999 • hockey conference. 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 • Home to a record 16 national championships (one AWCHA crown and 15 NCAA Frozen Four titles), seven Bloomington, MN 55425 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winners, numerous Olympic and national team heroes, and countless 952-681-7947 young women inspired, the WCHA is proud to honor yesterday's heroes, today's teammates and tomorrow's legends. We are Leaders and Champions. We are the WCHA. MEMBER TEAMS • Each student-athlete competing in the WCHA this season will wear a 20th Anniversary helmet sticker. The Bemidji State University league will also unveil its 20-member WCHA 20th Anniversary Team, with fan voting starting Oct. 1. University of Minnesota • Polling Place: The WCHA leads all NCAA D-I conferences with four teams in the preseason USCHO.com and USA University of Minnesota Duluth Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls: No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota State University • FloHockey.tv: The WCHA is the nation's first women's hockey conference to offer a live streaming platform that The Ohio State University features each of its member teams, launching an exclusive partnership with FloHockey.tv for the 2018-19 season. St. Cloud State University With a monthly or annual pass, FloSports subscribers receive access to WCHA hockey from opening night through University of Wisconsin the 2019 Final Faceoff, along with original programming, studio shows and other hockey content -- all available on iOS, Roku or Apple TV 4. 16 National Championships • FloHockey.tv will stream every game (live and on-demand) hosted by Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, 98 All-Americans Minnesota State and St. Cloud State, along with the WCHA Final Faceoff tournament. FloHockey.tv also 100+ Olympians and offers access to games hosted by Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin that are also available on BTN Plus. • Mark Your Calendars: In addition to the nightly excellence in WCHA rinks, the league is excited for several special National Team Members events throughout the 2018-19 season. • Bemidji State and St. Cloud State will play in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Face-off Classic, set for THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA Nov. 20 in Brainerd, Minn. • Bemidji is hosting Hockey Day Minnesota 2019, with the Beavers and Minnesota State playing outdoors on FRIDay, SEPT. 28 the shores of Lake Bemidji on Jan. 19. (7) Ohio State at Quinnipiac, 6:00pm ET (NC) • The inaugural Minnesota Cup tournament will take place Jan. 5-6 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The two- St. Cloud State at UConn, 6:00pm ET (NC) (1) Clarkson at Bemidji State, 6:07pm CT (NC)* day, four-team event features Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, St. Cloud State and the host Gophers. (4) Boston College at (9) Minnesota Duluth • The 2019 WCHA Final Faceoff returns to Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on March 9-10. (7:07pm CT - NC)* (10) Mercyhurst at (3) Minnesota (7:07pm CT - NC)*^ BY THE NUMBERS Lindenwood at (2) Wisconsin, • 4: Returning 2018 Olympians to WCHA ice: St. Cloud State junior goaltender Janine Alder (Switzerland), Wisconsin 7:07pm CT (NC)*^ redshirt-senior forward Emily Clark (a Canadian silver medalist), and United States gold medalists Kelly Pannek (redshirt-senior forward at Minnesota) and Maddie Rooney (redshirt-junior goaltender at Minnesota Duluth). SATURDay, SEPT. 29 (7) Ohio State at Quinnipiac, 2:00pm ET (NC) • Additionally, a trio of players who were centralized with their national teams last season also return to the St. Cloud State at UConn, 3:00pm ET (NC) WCHA: Minnesota's Amy and Sarah Potomak (Canada) and Wisconsin's Annie Pankowski (USA). Rensselaer at Minnesota State • 7: Straight seasons that WCHA teams have ranked 1-3 nationally in attendance. Last season, Wisconsin drew (2:07pm CT - NC)* 38,505 fans (2,265 per game) for 17 games at LaBahn Arena, Minnesota welcomed 32,753 (1,629) over 20 dates Lindenwood at (2) Wisconsin, 2:07pm CT (NC)*^ at Ridder Arena, while 19,769 fans (1,163) saw contests at Minnesota Duluth's AMSOIL Arena. (1) Clarkson at Bemidji State, 3:07pm CT (NC)* (4) Boston College at (9) Minnesota Duluth THE WEEK AHEAD (4:07pm CT - NC)* (10) Mercyhurst at (3) Minnesota • Nonconference Tests: The WCHA officially drops the puck on its 20th Anniversary season Sept. 28-30, with all (4:07pm CT - NC)*^ seven teams playing nonconference series (five at home and two on the road). • Opening weekend includes two top-10 matchups, as No. 3 Minnesota hosts No. 10 Mercyhurst and No. 9 SUNDay, SEPT. 30 Minnesota Duluth welcomes No. 4 Boston College. Rensselaer at Minnesota State • Bemidji State opens by hosting two-time defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Clarkson, (2:07 p.m. CT - NC) * while No. 2 Wisconsin (with a 29-game home unbeaten streak and an all-time mark of 17-0-1 in September Bold denotes WCHA team contests) plays at home against Lindenwood and Minnesota State hosts Rensselaer. (NC) denotes nonconference game • No. 7 Ohio State begins on the road at Quinnipiac, while St. Cloud State also ventures east to face UConn. * denotes FloHockey.tv *^ denotes FloHockey.tv and BTN Plus FINAL 2017-18 WCHA STANDINGS Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA 1 (3) Wisconsin 64 24 20 2 2 2 .875 81 29 38 31 5 2 .842 126 48 2 (4) Ohio State 49 24 14 6 4 3 .667 63 51 39 24 11 4 .667 112 77 3 (6) Minnesota 42 24 13 8 3 0 .604 74 54 38 24 11 3 .671 119 79 4 Minnesota Duluth 35 24 10 11 3 2 .479 49 62 35 15 16 4 .486 71 82 5 Bemidji State 30 24 9 13 2 1 .417 60 68 38 16 19 3 .461 90 96 6 St. Cloud State 23 24 6 14 4 1 .333 41 59 33 8 20 5 .318 52 82 7 Minnesota State 9 24 3 21 0 0 .125 37 82 34 5 28 1 .162 57 123 (shootout win = 1 additional point; rankings listed by USCHO.com first, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) HOME OF A RECORD 16 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 •2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2015 • 2016 #WEAREWCHA #LEADERSANDCHAMPIONS #20YEARSOFEXCELLENCE 2018-19 WCHA PRESEASON COACHES' POLL #WEAREWCHA WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA SPLIT COACHES' VOTE AS WCHA PRESEASON 2017-18 WCHA PRESEASON COACHES' POLL FAvoRITES Rank Team (1st Place Votes) Points 1. Wisconsin (4) 33 If the 2018-19 preseason coaches’ vote is any indication, the 20th Minnesota (3) 33 Anniversary season of the women’s Western Collegiate Hockey 3. Ohio State 24 Association (WCHA) will feature quite a race for the regular season 4. Minnesota Duluth 23 crown and home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Three-time defending 5. Bemidji State 16 regular season champion Wisconsin and reigning league playoff winner 6. St. Cloud State 12 Minnesota each collected 33 points in the poll of the WCHA’s seven head 7. Minnesota State 6 coaches, with the Badgers’ four first-place votes edging the Gophers’ Predicted order of finish. Based on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. Coaches could not vote for their own teams. three. WCHA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR (voTES) Ohio State, which set a school record with 24 wins in 2017-18 en route to Maddie Rooney, RS-Jr., G, Minnesota Duluth (3) its first-ever NCAA tournament and Frozen Four appearance, placed third Others receiving votes: Kelly Pannek, Sr., F, Minnesota (2); Emily Clark, Sr., with 24 points. The Buckeyes edged out Minnesota Duluth (23 points), F, Wisconsin (1); Annie Pankowski, Sr., F, Wisconsin (1) which returns five of its top six scorers and welcomes back U.S. Olympic gold medalist Maddie Rooney in net. The poll was rounded out by Bemidji WCHA PRESEASON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (voTES) State and its pair of returning All-WCHA performers, St. Cloud State with Taylor Heise, Fr., F, Minnesota (5) its stellar goaltending tandem and a Minnesota State squad that features Others receiving votes: Amy Potomak, Fr., F, Minnesota (1); Sophie Shirley, its top-three scorers from a year ago. Fr., F, Wisconsin (1) Rooney, who seven months ago backstopped Team USA to its first PRESEASON ALL-WCHA TEAM Olympic gold since 1998, beat out a crowded field for WCHA Preseason FORwaRD: Kelly Pannek, RS-Sr., Minnesota Player of the Year honors. Her three votes edged the two received by FORwaRD: Emily Clark, RS-Sr., Wisconsin Olympic teammate Kelly Pannek (RS-Sr., F, Minnesota), while redshirt- FORwaRD: Annie Pankowski, RS-Sr., Wisconsin (tie) senior Wisconsin forwards Emily Clark (a 2018 Olympian with Canada) FORwaRD: Sarah Potomak, RS-Jr., Minnesota (tie) and Annie Pankowski (centralized last year with the U.S. National Team) DEFENSEMAN: Jincy Dunne, RS-Jr., Ohio State each got a vote apiece. DEFENSEMAN: Mikaela Gardner, Sr., Wisconsin GOALTENDER: Maddie Rooney, RS-Jr., Minnesota Duluth The WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year selection is Gophers’ freshman forward Taylor Heise, the 2018 Minnesota Ms.