The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which is celebrating its 25th season of women’s hockey competition in 2023-24, announced on Monday, Jan. 22 its Sterling Trophy Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Players of the Week honors for games played during the week of Jan. 15 through Jan. 21.  

This week’s league award winners included Wisconsin’s Casey O’Brien(Forward) and Cassie Hall (Rookie), Bemidji State’s Khloe Lund (Bemidji State) and Ohio State’s Amanda Thiele (Ohio State).

The WCHA will feature another full slate of league games on the weekend of Jan. 26-27 including Wisconsin at Minnesota Duluth, St. Thomas at Bemidji State, Ohio State at St. Cloud State and Minnesota vs. Minnesota State.  Fans can view all of these WCHA games on the B1G+ at www.bigtenplus.com

Make plans now to attend the 2024 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff tournament on March 8-9 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.  For complete ticket information, please visit www.wcha.com/finalfaceoff
 

Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Week:
Casey O’Brien/Wisconsin/Forward/Senior/Milton, Mass.
For the second consecutive week, Wisconsin senior Casey O’Brien has been named the WCHA Forward of the Week. O’Brien led all WCHA skaters with five points over the weekend, helping the #2 Badgers to a sweep of Minnesota State. O’Brien recorded an assist in UW’s 3-2 win on Friday before enjoying a four point game in UW’s 7-2 win on Saturday. O’Brien had a goal and three assists in the contest and also recorded her 150th point in the game, becoming the 15th Badger to reach 150 career points. Her +4 plus/minus rating was the second-best mark in the league behind only teammate Britta Curl.

Others Nominated: Kelsey King, Ohio State; Sydney Langseth Minnesota State; Josefin Bouveng, Minnesota and Lauren Stenslie St. Thomas. 
 

Sterling Trophy WCHA Defender of the Week:
Khloe Lund/Bemidji State/Defense/Senior/Thief River Falls, Minn.
Senior Khloe Lund finished her weekend series at home against the #4/5 ranked Minnesota Gophers with impressive numbers from the blue line.  She scored the Beavers’ lone goal in their tightly contested series with No. 4/5 Minnesota at Sanford Center. Lund led the Beavers in goals (1), shots on goal (7) and blocked shots (8) over the weekend, and she posted a career-high five shots on goal, blocked a career-high five shots and scored the Beavers’ lone goal Saturday afternoon.  This marks Lund’s second WCHA Defender of the Week honor received in 2023-24.

Others Nominated: Hadley Hartmetz, Ohio State and Madeline Wethington, Minnesota

Sterling Trophy WCHA Goaltender of the Week:
Amanda Thiele/Ohio State/Goaltender/Senior/Milford, Mich.
Ohio State’s Raygan Kirk earned her second shutout of the season with her 1-0 victory over #7 ranked Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 20 in Columbus.  She made 18 stops in the game, including several breakaway opportunities to preserve the series shutout against the Bulldogs. This was the first time in OSU history that the Buckeyes have gained a series sweep against UMD.  Thiele currently owns a 9-1-0 record this season with a 1.60 GAA and a .909 save rate.  

Others Nominated: Eva Filippova, Bemdiji State; Suzette Faucher, Minnesota State; Lucy Morgan, Minnesota; Olivia King, St. Thomas

Sterling Trophy WCHA Rookie of the Week:
Cassie Hall/Wisconsin/Forward/First Year/South Lyon, Mich.
Cassie Hall scored in each game during the Badgers’ sweep of Minnesota State to extend her goal streak to six games. Hall’s goal on Saturday was a game-winning tally as well. The rookie was the only WCHA rookie to record multiple goals during the weekend and currently has 16 goals this season, which ranks third on the team.  She had seven shots on goal over the weekend and was +1 on the plus/minus. 

Others Nominated:  Joy Dunne, Ohio State; Kamryn Van Batavia, Minnesota State;  Ava Lindsay, Minnesota

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.

ABOUT STERLING TROPHY:
Sterling Trophy has grown into a leader in the award and recognition industry in the Twin Cities since its founding in 1999. A family business that started in the basement of the home of founders David Steinbring and Patty Steinbring, Sterling Trophy has built a proud tradition of quality service and unique products. For more information, visit sterlingtrophy.net.


 

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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, MSU
Goalie - Sanni Ahola, St. Cloud State/Rookie - Ella Boerger, St. Thomas

Oct. 16:
Forward - Abbey Murphy, Minnesota/Defender - Hadley Hartmetz, OSU
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 UMD

Oct. 30:
Forward - Jennifer Gardiner, Ohio State/Defender - Nelli Laitinen, Minnesota
Goalie - Jojo Chobak, St. Cloud State/Rookie - Jocelyn Amos, Ohio State

Nov. 6:
Forward - Reece Hunt, Minnesota Duluth/Defender - Emma Peschel, OSU
Goalie - Eve Gascon, Minnesota Duluth/Rookie - Joy Dunne, Ohio State

Nov. 13:
Forward - Rylee Bartz, St. Thomas/Defender - Nicole Vallario, St. Thomas
Goalie - Calla Frank, St. Thomas/Rookie - Ella Boerger, St. Thomas

Nov. 20:
Forward - Jennifer Gardiner, Ohio State/Defender - Khloe Lund, BSU
Goalie - Raygan Kirk, Ohio State/Rookie - Hailey Armstrong, Bemidji State

Nov. 27:
Forward - Abbey Murphy, Minnesota/Defender - Hadley Hartmetz, OSU
Goalie - Hailey MacLeod, Minnesota Duluth/Rookie - Jocelyn Amos, OSU

Dec. 4:
Forward - Abbey Murphy, Minnesota/Defender - Ida Karlsson, UMD
Goalie - Sanni Ahola, St. Cloud State/Rookie - Ava Lindsay, Minnesota

Dec. 11:
Forward - Kirsten Simms, Wisconsin/Defender - Cayla Barnes, Ohio State
Goalie - Eva Filippova, Bemidji State/Rookie - Ella Boerger, St. Thomas

Jan. 8: 
Forward - Britta Curl, UW/Defender - Charlotte Akervik, MSU
Goalie - Skylar Vettter, Minnesota/Rookie - Cassie Hall, Wisconsin

Jan. 15: 
Forward - Casey O’Brien, Wisconsin/Defender - Hanna Baskin, UMD
Goalie - Raygan Kirk, Ohio State/Rookie - Joy Dunne, Ohio State

Jan. 22: 
Forward - Casey O’Brien, Wisconsin/Defender - Khloe Lund, BSU
Goalie - Amanda Thiele, Ohio State/Rookie - Cassie Hall, Wisconsin