Western Collegiate Hockey Association
2008 Women's National Champion Minnesota Duluth |
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2007-08 WCHA WOMEN'S SEASON-IN-REVIEW
April 29, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association made it nine women's national championships in nine seasons of existence when Minnesota Duluth defeated Wisconsin, 4-0 before a screaming crowd of 4,031 at the Duluth Entertainment and Conference Center on March 22 in Duluth, Minn. The Bulldogs (33-4-1) were perfect from the net out - but especially in the net, where sophomore Kim Martin stopped all 28 Badger shots to anchor a performance that secured the fourth NCAA title in eight years for UMD, the first since 2003, when the Bulldogs won their third title in the NCAA's third tournament.
Only two weeks earlier on the same rink, UMD beat the Badgers, 5-4, in overtime to win the 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF title. Since the inception of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four in 2001, Minnesota Duluth has won four national championships (2001, 2002, 2003 and now 2008), Minnesota took home the title in both 2004 and 2005, and Wisconsin won in 2006 and 2007.
The championship game marked the sixth meeting this season between Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin, which also played for the national title in Lake Placid, N.Y. in 2007. The Bulldogs held a 5-1 in the season series, including the title game, which was the only one-sided game of rivalry in 2007-08. Wisconsin reached the title game with a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Harvard while UMD used a 41-save performance by Martin to score a 3-2 victory over New Hampshire in the semifinals.
In the championship game, Haley Irwin, the WCHA scoring champion as a freshman, gave UMD the lead with 38 seconds left in the first period. Then Emmanuelle Blais shoveled in a second rebound for a power play goal midway through the second period, and Sara O'Toole scored a shorthanded goal late in the middle session to make it 3-0. Karine Demeule, the lone senior in UMD's lineup, scored with 2:45 remaining in the game and Martin completed the shutout to wrap up the tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award. UMD had five players named to the 2008 Frozen Four All-Tournament team. Martin, forwards Laura Fridfinnson and O'Toole and defensemen Myriam Trepanier and Heidi Pelttari joined Wisconsin's Jinelle Zaugg on the squad.
Minnesota Duluth Captures 2007-08 WCHA Regular Season Championship
The 2007-08 Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championship won by the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs represented the program's third conference title since the women's league was founded for the 1999-2000 campaign.
Coach Shannon Miller's Bulldogs, who finished the 28-game conference schedule with a 24-4-0 record and 48 points, previously earned WCHA regular season titles in 1999-2000 and 2002-03.
Minnesota, under first-year head coach Brad Frost, finished second behind UMD with a 21-5-2 mark and 44 points, while Wisconsin was third at 20-5-3 and 43 points.
St. Cloud State placed fourth in the final regular season standings at 11-13-4 and 26 points, followed by Ohio State in fifth (11-14-3, 25 points), Minnesota State in sixth (10-16-2, 22 points), North Dakota in seventh (4-20-4, 12 points) and Bemidji State in eighth (1-25-2, 4 points).
Minnesota Duluth Wins 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF Title with Overtime Win over UW
Rookie forward Haley Irwin scored at 6:32 of sudden-death overtime to give the University of Minnesota Duluth a 5-4 victory over Wisconsin in the championship game of the 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF on March 9.
The triumph, before 1,274 fans at the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center (DECC), gave UMD its fourth WCHA playoff title, and the first in five years, since the Bulldogs won league playoff crowns in three of the first four tournaments. The tournament was re-christened the `WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF' in December, 2007. In making the announcement of the name change Associate Commissioner Sara Martin thanked the University of Minnesota Sport Business Institute for its work in developing the concept and new logo for the championships.
"We're extremely pleased to announce this new name and logo for our championships," said Martin. "The WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF is one of the most prestigious and successful collegiate championships in the country and we are proud and happy to say our playoff champion has gone on to win the national championship eight of the last nine years."
The tournament drew 1,181 fans Saturday and 2,412 for the tournament.
2007-08 WCHA women's Award Winners
WCHA Player of the Year: Tessa Bonhomme, Sr., D, OSU.
Turfer WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year: Casie Hanson, Jr., F, UND.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year: Tessa Bonhomme, Sr., D, OSU.
WCHA Rookie of the Year: Haley Irwin, Fr., F, UMD.
WCHA Coach of the Year: Brad Frost, UM.
WCHA Goaltending Champion: Jessie Vetter, Jr., G, UW.
WCHA Scoring Champion: Haley Irwin, Fr., F, UMD.
All-WCHA First Team: F - Gigi Marvin, Jr., UM; F - Haley Irwin, Fr., UMD; F - Erin Keys, Sr., OSU (tie) & Meghan Duggan, So., UW (tie); D - Tessa Bonhomme, Sr., OSU; D - Rachael Drazan, Jr., UM; G - Kim Martin, So., UMD (tie) & Jessie Vetter, Jr., UW (tie).
All-WCHA Second Team: F - Erica McKenzie, Sr., UM; F - Erika Lawler, Jr., UW; D - Lisa Chesson, Sr., OSU; D - Anya Miller, Sr., UM.
All-WCHA Third Team: F - Bobbi Ross, Sr., UM; F - Jinelle Zaugg, Sr., UW; F - Saara Tuominen, So., UMD; D - Jocelyne Larocque, Fr., UMD; D - Melanie Gagnon, Jr., UM; G - Emily Brookshaw, Sr., BSU.
All-WCHA Rookie Team: F - Hilary Knight, Fr., UW; F - Haley Irwin, Fr., UMD; F - Mallory Deluce, Fr., UW; D - Jocelyne Larocque, Fr., UMD; D - Shannon Reilly, Fr., OSU; G - Jenny Lura, Fr., UM.
Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top 10 Finalists: Tessa Bonhomme, Sr., D, OSU; Kim Martin, So., G, UMD; Gigi Marvin, Jr., F, UM.
2007-08 RBK Hockey/AHCA Women's Division 1 All-Americans
First Team: G - Kim Martin, So., UMD; D - Tessa Bonhomme, Sr., OSU. Second Team: F - Gigi Marvin, Jr., UM.
AHCA Women's Ice Hockey Division 1 Coach of the Year Finalists: Brad Frost, UM; Shannon Miller, UMD; Mark Johnson, UW.
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