The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which is celebrating its 25th season of women’s hockey competition in 2023-24, announced on Monday, Feb. 26 its Sterling Trophy Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Players of the Week honors for games played during the week of Feb. 19 through Feb. 25.
This week’s league award winners include St. Cloud State’s Emma Gentry (Forward) and Taylor Larson (Defender), Ohio State’s Raygan Kirk (Goaltender) and St. Thomas’ Rylee Bartz (Rookie). .
The regular season is now completed and all eight WCHA teams will enter first round play of the 2024 WCHA playoffs. These best of three series on March 1-3 include #8 seed Bemidji State at #1 seed Ohio State, #7 seed St. Thomas at #2 seed Minnesota, #6 seed Minnesota State at #3 seed Minnesota and #5 seed St. Cloud State at #4 seed Minnesota State. Fans can all 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:
Emma Gentry/St. Cloud State/Senior/Alpena, Mich.
St. Cloud State senior Emma Gentry helped lead the Huskies to a weekend sweep at Bemidji State on Feb. 23-24. Gentry scored four goals, one assists and five points against BSU and also had 12 shots on goal over the weekend in Bemidji. She had three goals and the game winner in the Huskies’ 6-2 win on Feb. 24 and had one goal and one assist in a 5-1 win on Feb. 23. She also had one blocked shot and was +4 on the plus/minus in the series.
Others Nominated: Mary Kate O’Brien, Minnesota Duluth; Kenzie Hauswirth, Ohio State; Casey O’Brien, Wisconsin; Alexis Paddington, Minnesota State and Abbey Murphy, Minnesota
Sterling Trophy WCHA Defender of the Week:
Taylor Larson/St. Cloud State/Defense/Junior/Nisswa, Minn.
A junior, Taylor Larson was a key player for St. Cloud State in its 5-1 and 6-2 sweep at Bemidji State on Feb. 23-24. Larson had one goal, one assist and two points during the series, which also included two shots on target, two blocked shots and a +3 on the plus/minus. She scored a goal in the Huskies’ 6-2 win on Feb. 24 and helped SCSU outshot Bemidji State 72-38 in the two games combined.
Others Nominated: Lauren Bernard, Ohio State
Sterling Trophy WCHA Goaltender of the Week:
Raygan Kirk/Ohio State/Goaltender/Senior/St. Anne, Manitoba
A 5X WCHA Goaltender of the Week award winner in 2023-24, Ohio State’s Raygan Kirk made her second most saves of the season, and most since the Buckeyes’ second game of the season, with 28 against No. 2 Wisconsin on Feb. 23. She helped the Buckeyes hold the Badgers to just one goal in the game to give the team a 3-1 win in Madison.
Others Nominated: Hailey MacLeod, Minnesota Duluth; Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; Lucy Morgan, Minnesota and Calla Frank, St. Thomas
Sterling Trophy WCHA Rookie of the Week:
Rylee Bartz/St. Thomas/Forward/First Year/Fargo, N.D.
Rylee Bartz recorded an assist and an empty net game winning-goal on Feb. 23 to help lift St. Thomas to a 3-2 at Minnesota State. In Mendota Heights on Feb. 24, Bartz scored the overtime game winner in the 5-4 victory over the Mavericks to secure the weekend sweep. She finished the weekend with two goals, one assist, three points, two game winners, six shots on goal, three blocked shots and was +2 on the plus/minus.
Others Nominated: Ava Lindsay, Minnesota; Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; Greta Hendrson, SCSU; and Joy Dunne, Ohio State.
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.
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
Jan. 29:
Forward - Lacey Eden, Wisconsin/Defender - Makenna Deering, BSU
Goalie - Jane Gervais, Wisconsin/Rookie - Eva Filippova, BSU
Feb. 5:
Forward - Hannah Bilka, Ohio State/Defender - Caroline Harvey, UW
Goalie - JoJo Chobak, SCSU/Rookie - Jocelyn Amos, Ohio State
Feb. 12:
Forward - Reece Hunt, UMD/Defender - Caroline Harvey, UW
Goalie - Skylar Vetter, UM/Rookie - Éve Gascon, UMD
Feb. 19:
Forward - Taylor Otremba, MSU/Defender - Lauren Bernard, OSU
Goalie - Hailey MacLeod, UMD/Rookie - Éve Gascon, UMD
Feb. 26:
Forward - Emma Gentry, SCSU/Defender - Taylor Larson, SCSU
Goalie - Raygan Kirk, OSU/Rookie - Rylee Bartz, UST