The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) has announced its weekly awards for games played during the week of Oct. 23-29 and this week’s award winners include Ohio State’s Jennifer Gardiner (Forward), Minnesota’s Nelli Laitinen (Defender), St. Cloud State’s Jojo Chobak (Goaltender) and Ohio State’s Jocelyn Amos (Rookie).
The league will have another full schedule of WCHA games on Nov. 3-4. Nationally ranked Wisconsin and St. Cloud State will match up in St. Cloud, Minn. this weekend, while Ohio State will play a weekend series at Bemidji State. In addition, Minnesota Duluth will host St. Thomas and Minnesota State will have a home-home series against Minnesota over the weekend. Fans can watch all WCHA home games live online through the B1G+ streaming service in 2023-24.
Of note, the UW game at SCSU and the Minnesota game at Minnesota State will both be televised live on FOX9+.
Jennifer Gardiner
Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Week:
Jennifer Gardiner/Ohio State/Forward/Grad. Student/Surrey, B.C.
In a key weekend series between two top four ranked teams, Jennifer Gardiner led #2 Ohio State to a pair of wins over #4 ranked Minnesota on Oct. 27-28 in Columbus, Ohio. Gardiner led the Buckeyes with six points and a +6 on ice rating in the sweep of the Gophers. She was on the ice for nine of Ohio State’s 10 goals of the series and scored the overtime game-winning goal in Friday’s 4-3 win over Minnesota. She also tallied her first multi-goal game of the year with two goals in the game. She scored Ohio State’s second goal in game two of the series, eliminating the Gophers’two-goal lead to start the game, which the Buckeyes went on to win, 6-5. On the weekend, Gardiner had three goals, three assists, six points, 11 shots on net, one blocked shot and was +6 on the plus/minus.
Others Nominated: Clara Van WIeren, Minnesota Duluth; Grace Wolfe, St. Cloud State; Kirsten Simms, Wisconsin; Abbey Murphy, Minnesota.
Nelli Laitinen
Sterling Trophy WCHA Defender of the Week:
Nelli Laitinen/Minnesota/Defense/Sophomore/Lohja, Finland
Nelli Laitinen earned her first-career multi-goal game on Oct. 28, scoring two goals and adding one assist against #2 ranked Ohio State. Her point total for the weekend’s series versus Ohio State was two goals, two assists and four points. She scored two power play goals and blocked one shot while playing a critical role in the Gophers’ lineup in both games. Laitinen set a career high in points in one series with four and had a combined total of four shots on goal against the Buckeyes.
Others Nominated: JuliAnna Gazdik, Minnesota State; Tova Henderson, Minnesota Duluth; Anna Ailgren, Wisconsin; Dayle Ross, St. Cloud State; Emma Peschel, Ohio State
Jojo Chobak
Sterling Trophy WCHA Goaltender of the Week:
Jojo Chobak/St. Cloud State State/Goaltender/Senior/Chicago, Ill.
Jojo Chobak helped the Huskies complete a weekend sweep at Minnesota State with her 2-0 shutout win over the Mavericks on Oct. 28. She stopped all 26 shots she saw in the win in Mankato. Chobak improved to 4-2-0 on the season with the victory and moved her goals against average to 1.01 and her save percentage this year to .957. This was her second shutout of the season and the seventh of her career with the Huskies (and 10th career shutout overall).
Others Nominated: Skylar Vetter, Minnesota; Raygan Kirk, Ohio State; Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; Suzette Faucher Minnesota State and Calla Frank, St. Thomas
Jocelyn Amos
Sterling Trophy WCHA Rookie of the Week:
Jocelyn Amos/Ohio State/Forward/Freshman/Ailsa Craig, Ontario
Jocelyn Amos tallied two goals in Saturday’s 6-5 win over Minnesota for her first multi-goal game of her career. Amos won a team-high 35 faceoffs and finished the weekend .593 from the dot. She has now recorded a point in three of the last four games for the Buckeyes and leads Ohio State freshmen with five points (3G, 2A) this season. In the weekend sweep of Minnesota, Amos had two goals, one assist, three points, 12 shots on goal, two blocked shots and was +3 on the plus/minus.
Other Nominated: Éve Gascon, Minnesota Duluth; Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; JuliAnna Gazdik, Minnesota State; Ella Hause, St. Thomas
ABOUT THE WCHA:
Founded in 1999, the women’s league of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has positioned itself as the top conference in all of women’s collegiate hockey and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2023-24. The WCHA has won an unprecedented 20 national championships while finishing as the national runner-up nine times since 1999. The league has produced nine Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winners as well an additional 24 student-athletes who were among the Top-3 finalists for the award. In addition, WCHA student-athletes have been recognized as All-Americans 121 times in league history.
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2023-24 Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Week:
Sept. 25:
Forward - Emma Gentry, SCSU/Defender - Ella Anick, SCSU
Goalie - Sanni Ahola, SCSU/Rookie - Sofianna Sundelin, SCSU
Oct. 2:
Forward - Lacey Eden, Wisconsin/Defender - Caroline Harvery, Wisconsin
Goalie - Raygan Kirk, Ohio State/Rookie - Cassie Hall, Wisconsin
Oct. 9:
Forward - Jamie Nelson, Minnesota State/Defender - Jayden Seifert, Minnesota State
Goalie - Sanni Ahola, St. Cloud State/Rookie - Ella Boerger, St. Thomas
Oct. 16:
Forward - Abbey Murphy, Minnesota/Defender - Hadley Hartmetz, Ohio State
Goalie - Raygan Kirk, Ohio State/Rookie - Alice Sauriol, SCSU
Oct. 23:
Forward - Klára Hymlárová, SCSU/Defender - Anna Wilgren, Wisconsin
Goalie - Abbie Thompson, Bemidji State/Rookie - Ève Gascon Minnesota Duluth
Oct. 30:
Forward - Jennifer Gardiner, Ohio State/Defender - Nelli Laitinen, Minnesota
Goalie - Jojo Chobak, St. Cloud State/Rookie - Jocelyn Amos, Ohio State