R 2017-18 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK ONE (GAMES OF SEPT. 20-26, 2017) / wcha.com @wcha_whockey @wcha_whockey /WCHAWomensHockey Matt Hodson ● o: 952-681-7668 ● c: 612-801-2808 ● [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACEOFF HOCKEY ASSOCIATION • Leaders and Champions: The Women's League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), home to a record 16 • FOUNDED 1999 • national championships (including 15 of a possible 17 Frozen Four crowns), seven Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winners, 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 95 All-American and many Olympic, national team and professional players, officially drops the puck on its 19th campaign this Bloomington, MN 55425 weekend with the regular season opener. 952-681-7947 • Polling Place: The WCHA is well-represented in the preseason USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine opinion polls, with No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Minnesota and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth holding the same spot in both. Ohio State is also MEMBER TEAMS receiving votes in both ledgers. Bemidji State University • A New, Old Look for the WCHA: For the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, the WCHA's seven founding members will play University of Minnesota a 24-game league schedule in 2017-18. University of Minnesota Duluth • In addition to the 84-game gauntlet of the WCHA league schedule, member institutions will play a handful of Minnesota State University, Mankato nonconference games against each other. Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth will face off in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Ohio State University Fame Game (Nov. 6 in Cambridge, Minn.), Minnesota will host St. Cloud State (Jan. 9), while the Huskies will welcome St. Cloud State University Bemidji State (Nov. 22) and Minnesota Duluth (Jan. 20 on Hockey Day Minnesota 2018). University of Wisconsin • Postseason Tournament Changes: As a reward for winning college hockey's premier conference, the WCHA regular season champion will earn a quarterfinal-round bye and advance directly to the 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 3 and 4 at Ridder 16 National Championships Arena in Minneapolis. The other six teams will play in the best-of-three quarterfinals. 95 All-Americans • WCHA and the Winter Olympics: The WCHA is honored to have six current and incoming student-athletes training in national 100+ Olympians and team camps for an opportunity to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Since the league's inception in 1999, WCHA teams National Team Members have produced a combined 66 Olympians for the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 Games. • The 2017-18 U.S. Women's National Team Roster includes forwards Annie Pankowski (Wisconsin) and Kelly Pannek (Minnesota), along with goaltender Maddie Rooney (Minnesota Duluth). Pankowski and Pannek, both All-Americans 2017-18 IMPORTANT DATES and All-WCHA performers, will return as seniors in 2017-18. Rooney, an All-WCHA selection and Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 WCHA Final Faceoff, will have two years of eligibility remaining. Date Event Oct. 6-8 First WCHA league series • The 2017-18 Olympic centralization roster for Canada's National Women's Team features Emily Clark (Wisconsin) and Nov. 6 U.S. HOF Game the Potomak sisters, Sarah and Amy (Minnesota). All-WCHA forward Clark will return in 2017-18 for her senior season BSU v. UMD with the Badgers, fellow all-league performer Sarah Potomak will be back for her junior campaign, while Amy Potomak Nov. 24-26 Windjammer Classic and will skate collegiately for the first time next season. D.C. Tournament Dec. 18-Jan. 1 Holiday Break BY THE NUMBERS Jan. 2-4 Play resumes • 6: Straight seasons that WCHA teams have ranked 1-4 nationally in attendance. Last season, Wisconsin drew 55,315 fans Jan. 20 Hockey Day Minnesota (2,911 per game) for 18 dates at LaBahn Arena and one game at the Kohl Center, Minnesota welcomed 39,059 (1,953) over 19 UMD at SCSU Feb. 16-18 Final weekend of the dates at Ridder Arena and one game at Braemar Arena; 22,342 fans (1,176) saw games at Minnesota Duluth’s AMSOIL Arena regular season and the final season of North Dakota women's hockey saw the program host 15,344 (808) at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Feb. 23-25 2018 WCHA Quarterfinals • 1,135: Saves in 2016-17 by second-team All-American Kassidy Sauve, the Ohio State single-season record and just three shy of Host sites; seeds 2-4 the WCHA standard. After ranking among NCAA leaders for save pct. (5th - .942), minutes (sixth - 2098:20), shutouts (t7th - 6) Top seed receives bye and goals-against average (16th - 2.00), the redshirt-junior is the coaches' choice as preseason WCHA Player of the Year. March 3-4 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff Ridder Arena (Mpls, MN) THE WEEK AHEAD March 9-11 2018 NCAA Quarterfinals The last WCHA team playing in 2016-17 opens the 2017-18 regular season, as 2017 national finalist Host sites; top four seeds • Lindenwood at Wisconsin: March 16-18 2018 NCAA Frozen Four Wisconsin hosts Lindenwood for a Friday-Saturday series (Sept. 22-23) at LaBahn Arena. The Badgers also became the first Ridder Arena (Mpls, MN) WCHA team to play an exhibition season, blanking the Korean Women's National Team, 8-0, last Saturday at LaBahn Arena. • Korean Women's National Team Exhibitions: Prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, six WCHA teams will play the host country in exhibition games. After playing in Madison last Saturday, the Korean Women's National THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA Team will skate this Wednesday (Sept. 20) at Bemidji State, this Friday (Sept. 22) at St. Cloud State, this Sunday (Sept. 24) at Wednesday, Sept. 20 Minnesota, next Tuesday (Sept. 26) at Ohio State and Jan. 2 at Minnesota State. Team Korea at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT^ • Minnesota Whitecaps at Minnesota Duluth: Minnesota Duluth hits the ice for a home exhibition contest with the Minnesota Whitecaps this Sunday (Sept. 24) at AMSOIL Arena. Friday, Sept. 22 Team Korea at St. Cloud State, 6:07 p.m. CT^ FINAL 2016-17 WCHA STANDINGS Lindenwood at (2) Wisconsin, 7:07 p.m. CT (NC) Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA Saturday, Sept. 23 1 (2/2) Wisconsin 73 28 22 2 4 3 .857 110 24 40 33 3 4 .875 157 35 Lindenwood at (2) Wisconsin, 3:07 p.m. CT (NC) Whitecaps at (5) Minnesota Duluth, 4:07 p.m. CT^ 2 (3/3) Minnesota 65 28 19 4 5 3 .768 88 46 39 26 8 5 .731 124 69 3 (5/5) Minnesota Duluth 62 28 19 5 4 1 .750 82 47 37 25 7 5 .743 110 62 Sunday, Sept. 24 4 North Dakota 41 28 11 12 5 3 .482 62 57 38 16 16 6 .500 84 73 Team Korea at (3) Minnesota, 2:07 p.m. CT^ 5 Ohio State 28 28 7 16 5 2 .339 40 73 37 14 18 5 .446 69 82 6 St. Cloud State 26 28 7 18 3 2 .304 43 82 36 9 23 4 .306 61 113 Tuesday, Sept. 26 7 Bemidji State 25 28 7 18 3 1 .304 49 80 35 12 20 3 .386 67 90 Team Korea at (RV) Ohio State, 7:07 p.m. ET^ 8 Minnesota State 16 28 4 21 3 1 .196 33 98 37 7 26 4 .243 45 127 ^ - exhibition game (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 TRADITION STARTS HERE 2017-18 WCHA COACHES' POLL #WEAREWCHA COACHES PICK MINNESOTA AS PRESEASON WCHA FAVORITE TRADITION STARTS HERE The coaches from the Women’s League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Leaders and Champions: With 16 national championships in its 18 years of existence - Association (WCHA) have picked the University of Minnesota to dethrone including 15 of a possible 17 NCAA crowns - along with seven Patty Kazmaier Memorial Wisconsin and win the regular season title of a league that has 16 national Award Winners, 95 All-Americans, hundreds of Olympic and national team members, championships in its 18 years of existence. and countless women inspired, the WCHA Women's League has become the nation's premier college hockey conference. Minnesota, which has competed in the NCAA Frozen Four for the past six seasons, collected four first-place votes and 34 points in the preseason poll of the WCHA’s seven head coaches. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, Wisconsin, the two-time defending WCHA regular season champion (and 2000-2017 winners of three-straight WCHA Final Faceoff crowns), a Frozen Four participant the last four years and the 2017 NCAA runner-up, placed a very close second in The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Women's the coaches’ poll with 33 points and three first-place votes. Minnesota Duluth, coming off a 25-win campaign and No. 5 national ranking, and Ohio State, which League began play in the 1999-2000 season, before the improved by four wins a year ago and won a WCHA playoff game, tied for third sport was officially sanctioned by the NCAA. At the end of place with 23 points apiece. that season, competing under the United States Olympic Committee-financed American Women's College Hockey Bemidji State, with 14 points, was selected to finish in fifth place and St. Cloud State in sixth. Minnesota State was picked as the seventh-place finisher.