The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is celebrating its 25th season of women’s hockey competition in 2023-24 and as part of this year-long salute to the rich history of the league, the WCHA announced its fourth group of five members of the conference’s 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
This month’s group of Top 25 Team members includes the University of Wisconsin’s Brianna Decker, Ann-Renée Desbiens and Sarah Nurse along with the University of Minnesota’s Amanda Kessel and Noora Räty. The WCHA will continue to announce its Top 25 team throughout the season with the final five members of the team announced in the month of February.
The WCHA 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team was chosen by a selection committee comprised of former players, coaches and league officials along with input from a recently conducted WCHA fan poll. The following is a rundown of this month’s five team members’ career highlights and impact on the WCHA.
January's 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team Honorees:
Brianna Decker
BRIANNA DECKER
Years Played in the WCHA: 2009-13
School: University of Wisconsin
Position: Forward
Career Highlights: In her four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, Brianna Decker helped lead the Badgers to an NCAA championship in 2011 and back-to-back regular season WCHA championships in 2011 and 2012. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient in 2012, Decker was also named as a finalist for the award in 2013.
A member of the 2010 WCHA All-Rookie team, Decker went on to receive All-WCHA First Team accolades three times during her college career. She was selected as an NCAA All-America award winner in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was named the WCHA’s Player of the Year during the 2011-12 season.
Decker ranks sixth in the WCHA records with 115 career goals, 16th with 129 career points and 10th with 244 career points scored. She also had 25 game winning goals and eight hat tricks scored during her time in Madison. Decker hit a career season-high with 82 points scored (37g/45a) during the 2011-12 campaign.
A native of Dousman, Wisc., Decker played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. She also represented the United States at the Winter Olympic games in 2014 (silver), 2018 (gold) and 2022 (silver). As a professional hockey player, Decker played with Boston in the CWHL and NWHL along with Calgary in the CWHL and the PWHPA.
Most recently Decker served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team that won a gold medal at the IIHF U18 World Championships on Jan. 14, 2024. This marked the fourth year that Decker has served as an assistant coach with Team USA (2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024). She made her debut as a member of the coaching staff for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s Team at the 2018 Under-18 Series vs. Canada. In addition, Decker also serves as the Girls Prep Associate Head Coach at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn., a role she has held since 2022.
Ann-Renée Desbiens
ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS
Years Played in the WCHA: 2013-17
School: University of Wisconsin
Position: Goaltender
Career Highlights: In her four seasons at the University of Wisconsin Ann-Renée Desbiens set an NCAA record for most career shutouts with 55 and also established an NCAA record with 21 shutouts during the 2015-16 season with the Badgers. The 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient, Desbiens was a top three finalist for the award in 2016 and also gained First Team All-America status in both of those seasons.
A WCHA All-Rookie team selection in 2014, Desbiens received All-WCHA honors three times during her collegiate career and was the WCHA’s goaltending champion during her junior and senior seasons. Wisconsin qualified for the NCAA tournament four times during Desbiens’ time in Madison and she helped lead the Badgers to WCHA regular season titles in 2015-16 and 2016-17 along with Final Faceoff titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Desbiens completed her college career with a 99-14-9 record that included a 0.89 goals against average and a .955 save percentage. In 7304:57 minutes played at Wisconsin, Desbiens made 2,295 saves and allowed only 109 goals during that time. Of note, Desbiens owns the current league career records for goals against average, shutouts and save percentage. She also owns the WCHA season records for goals against average (0.71 in 2016-17), shutouts (21 in 2015-16) and save percentage (.963 in 2016-17).
On the international stage, Desbiens has played for Canada at the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022 and has been on the Hockey Canada roster at the IIHF World Championships in 2015, 2021, 2022 and 2023. She has played professional hockey in the PWHPA during her career and is currently playing this winter in the PWHL with Montreal.
Amanda Kessel
AMANDA KESSEL
Years Played in the WCHA: 2010-13 & 2016
School: University of Minnesota
Position: Forward
Career Highlights: The 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, Amanda Kessel established herself as a WCHA leader during her college career at the University of Minnesota. Kessel was selected as the WCHA Player of the Year during the 2012-13 season and was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year in 2010-11. She also gained All-WCHA honors three times with the Gophers along with being named to the WCHA All-Rookie team in 2010-11.
A two-time All-American at forward, Kessel finished her collegiate career with 108 goals (10th in the WCHA records), 140 assists (8th in the WCHA records) and 248 points (8th in the WCHA records). Kessel capped her career by scoring a season-high 101 points in 2012-13, which ranks third in the league records - which included 46 goals (3rd in the WCHA records) and 55 assists (4th in the WCHA records).
Kessel helped lead Minnesota to NCAA championships in 2012, 2013 and 2016 along with a regular season WCHA crown in 2013 and WCHA Final Faceoff championships in 2012 and 2013. A member of the United States hockey team at the 2014 (silver), 2018 (gold) and 2022 (silver) Winter Olympics, Kessel also played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
At the professional level, Kessel played for the New York/Metropolitan Riverters in the NWHL along games played with teams in the PWHPA. She currently serves as a Special Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations and GM with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sarah Nurse
SARAH NURSE
Years Played in the WCHA: 2013-17
School: University of Wisconsin
Position: Forward
Career Highlights: A two-time All-WCHA selection from the University of Wisconsin, Sarah Nurse received All-America status during the 2016-17 season. Nurse was named to the WCHA All-Rookie team as a first year forward and went on to help Wisconsin win a WCHA regular season title in 2016-17 along with WCHA Final Faceoff championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Nurse scored 76 goals, 61 assists and 137 points during her playing days at Wisconsin, which included 15 game winners, 13 power play goals and seven shorthanded goals. As a senior, Nurse capped her career by scoring 25 goals and 28 assists in 2016-17.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Nurse has continued her hockey career as a member of the Canadian National Team and has played in the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022. She has also played for Canada at the IIHF World Championships in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Her professional hockey resume includes the Toronto Furies (CWHL) along with GTA West, Toronto and Team Adidas in the PWHPA. This winter, Nurse is playing for Toronto of the PWHL.
Noora Räty
NOORA RÄTY
Years Played in the WCHA: 2009-13
School: University of Minnesota
Position: Goaltender
Career Highlights: A three-time All-America award recipient and three-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist, Noora Räty established herself as one of the WCHA’s premier goaltenders during her collegiate career at the University of Minnesota from 2009-13.
Räty helped lead the Gophers to NCAA championships in 2013 and 2012 along with WCHA regular season titles in 2010 and 2013 and WCHA Final Faceoff titles in 2012 and 2013. Räty was named a first team All-America award winner in 2010 and 2013 and earned second team All-America status in 2011. She was selected as the NCAA Frozen Four Outstanding Player in 2013 and 2012.
A two-time WCHA Goaltending Champion during her college career, Räty was selected to the WCHA All-Rookie team in 2010 and went on to earn All-WCHA honors four times at Minnesota. As a senior, Räty backstopped the Gophers to a perfect 38-0-0 record and finished her career with a league record 114 wins (114-17-8). Her career stat line included 43 shutouts (second in the WCHA records), a 1.34 goals against average, .946 save percentage, 3250 saves and 185 goals allowed in 8261:37 minutes played.
A native of Espoo, Finland, Räty has played in nine IIHF world championships for Team Finland and has also played for Finland at the Winter Olympic games in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Räty has won two bronze medals in Olympic competiton and has been named the best goaltender at the IIHF world championships five times.
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.
WCHA 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team
October:
Molly Engstrom, Wisconsin (2001-05)
Caroline Ouellette, UMD (2002-05)
Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, UMD (1999-04)
Maria Rooth, UMD (1999-03)
Krissy Wendell, Minnesota (2002-05)
November:
Sara Bauer, Wisconsin (2003-07)
Tessa Bonhomme, OSU (2004-08)
Natalie Darwitz, Minnesota (2002-05)
Kim Martin Hasson, UMD (2006-11)
Jessie Vetter, Wisconsin (2005-09)
December:
Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin (2006-11)
Hilary Knight, Wisconsin (2007-12)
Jocelyne Lamoreux-Davidson, North Dakota & Minnesota (2008-13)
Monique Lamoreux-Morando North Dakota & Minnesota (2008-13)
Natalie Spooner, Ohio State (2008-12)
January:
Brianna Decker, Wisconsin (2009-13)
Ann-Renée Desbiens, Wisconsin (20013-17)
Amanda Kessel, Minnesota (2010-13 & 2016)
Sarah Nurse, Wisconsin (2013-17)
Noora Räty, Minnesota (2009-13)