A talented group of four players have been selected as the 2023-24 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Players of the Year.  The awards are presented this season by Sterling Trophy.

The league announced this year's award winners on Wednesday, March 6 and the groups includes University of Wisconsin sophomore Kirsten Simms, who has been named the WCHA Forward of the Year; University of Wisconsin sophomore Caroline Harvey, who has been named the WCHA Defender of the Year; St. Cloud State University senior Sanni Ahola, who has been named the WCHA Goaltender of the Year and Ohio State first year forward Joy Dunne, who has been selected as the WCHA Rookie of the Year.

This year's WCHA scoring champion (most points scored in WCHA games only) is Simms with 47 points in 26 games (22g/25a).  Ohio State senior goaltender Raygan Kirk is the WCHA goaltending champion (best goals against average in WCHA games only) with a 1.02 GAA in 15 league games this season.  Kirk had a 14-1-0 record in WCHA play this winter with a .947 save rate and five shutouts for the Julianne Bye Cup champion Buckeyes.

WCHA fans should make plans now to attend the 2024 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff, which will be held on March 8-9 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.  The tournament will feature Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth.  Tickets are available online at wcha.com/finalfaceoff

2023-24 WCHA FORWARD OF THE YEAR
 

Name: Kirsten Simms
School: Wisconsin
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Plymouth, Mich.

WCHA Statistics: 26 games played, 22 goals, 25 assists, 47 points, 4 PPG, 6 GWG

Overall Statistics: 34 games, 29 goals, 38 assists, 67 points, 5 PPG, 8 GWG

2023-24 Honors: All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Forward of the Week: Dec. 11, 2023-24 Preseason All-WCHA selection

Season Highlights: Kirsten Simms finished the seeason as the WCHA's scoring champion with 47 points in 26 games played.  She posted 22 goals and 25 assists in WCHA play and helped the Badgers gain a second place finish in the league standings.  In overall games played, Simms currently leads all NCAA players this season with 67 points in 34 games played for the #2 ranked Badgers.  She has scored 29 goals and 38 assists this season along with five power play goals and eight game winners.  Her work on offense has helped Wisconsin outscore its opponents 188-54.  The Badgers will enter the upcoming Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff with a 31-5, 23-5 WCHA record.


2023-24 WCHA DEFENDER OF THE YEAR

Name: Caroline Harvey
School: Wisconsin
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Salem, N.H.

WCHA Statistics: 21 games played, 4 goals, 18 assists, 22 points, 1 PPG, 1 SHG, 1 GWG, 18 blocks

Overall Statistics: 27 games played, 5 goals, 28 assists, 33 points, 1 PPG, 1 SHG, 1 GWG, 36 blocks

2023-24 Honors: All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Defender of the Month: Sept. 2023 & Dec. 2023, WCHA Defender of the Week: Oct. 2, Feb. 5 & Feb. 12, 2023-24 WCHA Preseason Player of the Year & Preseason All-WCHA team, 2023-24 WCHA All-Academic Team

Season Highlights: Despite playing in just 21 conference games this season, Caroline Harvey still ranked second among WCHA blueliners with 22 points in 2023-24.  Harvey had 18 assists and four goals in league play that included 18 blocked shots and helped the Badgers outscore their league opponents 124-43.  Overall, Harvey scored 33 points (5g/28a) and also notched 36 blocked shots. UW ranks seventh among Division I teams this winter with 54 goals allowed and first in the nation with 188 goals.


2023-24 WCHA GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
 

Name: Sanni Ahola
School: St. Cloud State
Year: Senior
Hometown: Helsinksi, Finland

WCHA Statistics: 13 games played, 773:39, 315 saves, 1.86 GAA, .929 SV%, 7-5-1 Record, 2 shutouts

Overall Statistics: 18 games played, 1013:26 minutes, 417 saves, 1.72 GAA, .935 SV%, 10-6-1 Record, 5 shutouts

2023-24 Honors: All-WCHA First Team, HCA National Goaltender of the Month: Sept./Oct. 2023 & Dec. 2023; WCHA Goaltender of the Month: Oct. 2023 & Dec. 2023, WCHA Goaltender of the Week: Sept. 25, Oct. 9, Dec. 4.

Season Highlights: A two-time HCA National Goaltender of the Month in 2023-24, Sanni Ahola charted five shutouts this season, including two shutouts in WCHA play.  She posted a 1.72 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in 18 games played in 2023-24.  Ahola hit a season-high with 46 saves in the Huskies' 2-1 win at Ohio State on Dec. 1.  In WCHA games this winter, Ahola owned a 1.86 GAA along with a .929 save rate.


2023-24 WCHA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
 

Name: Joy Dunne
School: Ohio State
Year: Freshman
Hometown: O'Fallon, Mo.

WCHA Statistics: 28 games played, 16 goals, 14 assists, 30 points, 3 PPG, 3 GWG

Overall Statistics: 34 games played, 20 goals, 16 assists, 36 points, 3 PPG, 4 GWG

2023-24 Honors: All-WCHA Third Team, WCHA All-Rookie Team, WCHA Rookie of the Month for November 2023, WCHA Rookie of the Week Nov. 6 and Jan. 15; 2023-24 WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year

Season Highlights:  A two-time WCHA Rookie of the Week and the league's Rookie of the Month in November 2023, Dunne had 16 goals and 14 assists in league play to lead all WCHA rookies in scoring, goals and assists scored this season.  The league's preseason Rookie of the Year pick, Dunne currently leads NCAA Division I rookies with 36 points (20g/16a) that includes three power play goals and four game winners this season.  For her work on the ice this season, Dunne was named to the WCHA All-Rookie team and was named to the 2023-24 All-WCHA Third Team.