After successful outings in January, Minnesota's Abbey Murphy and Bella Fanale were joined by Ohio State's Hailey MacLeod and Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey in earning Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) monthly honors presented by Sterling Trophy Awards & Engraving.
WCHA Forward of the Month
Abbey Murphy, Gr., Minnesota (Evergreen Park, Ill.)
Through eight games played in January, Minnesota's Abbey Murphy tallied 27 points en route to earning her second WCHA Forward of the Month honor of the season. Murphy recorded three hat tricks and seven multi-point games during the month as she netted at least a goal in each of the eight games played. The Gopher forward moved into a tie for first place in Minnesota program history for career goals, as she now has 139. Murphy also tied the Minnesota single-game points record after tallying seven in the Gophers' 14-2 win against Sacred Heart. Murphy led all NCAA skaters with her 27 points in January.
Other Nominees: Morgan Smith, Bemidji State; Jocelyn Amos, Ohio State; Rylee Bartz, St. Thomas; Lacey Eden, Wisconsin.
WCHA Defender of the Month
Caroline Harvey, Sr., Wisconsin (Salem, N.H.)
Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey earned her fourth-consecutive monthly honor after being named the WCHA Defender of the Month for January. In just six games played, Harvey recorded six goals and seven assists to lead all WCHA defenders with her 13 points. Harvey became the first defender in Wisconsin program history to record a six-point game after doing so against Bemidji State on January 24th. In the same game, Harvey became just the second Badger defender in program history to record a hat trick. The senior posted multi-point games in four of the six games during January.
Other Nominees: Nelli Laitinen, Minnesota; Brooke Disher, Ohio State; JuliAnna Gazdik, St. Thomas.
WCHA Goaltender of the Month
Hailey MacLeod, Sr., Ohio State (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
After an undefeated month between the pipes for Ohio State, Hailey MacLeod earned the Goaltender of the Month award, marking her first monthly honor of the season. MacLeod posted a 6-0-0 record in January with five of the six wins coming against ranked opponents. MacLeod's six wins in January were tied for third amongst all NCAA goaltenders. The Buckeye netminder posted back-to-back season-high 32-save performances in Ohio State's series sweep of then No. 9 Minnesota Duluth to close out the month. MacLeod helped the Buckeyes finish with a 10-0-0 record in January, including four series sweeps against ranked opponents.
Other Nominees: Hannah Clark, Minnesota; Ève Gascon, Minnesota Duluth.
WCHA Rookie of the Month
Bella Fanale, Fr., Minnesota (Webster, N.Y.)
For the second time this season, Minnesota's Bella Fanale was named the WCHA Rookie of the Month for her performance through 10 games in January. Fanale recorded 15 points through 10 games with eight goals and seven assists. The Gopher forward skated to a +17 rating during the month and produced four multi-point games. Fanale helped the Gophers to a 9-1-0 record in January. Fanale currently ranks fifth among all NCAA rookies with her 15 goals on the season and sixth in points with 30.
Other Nominee: Maxine Cimoroni, Ohio State.
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league online at WCHA.com and follow @WCHA_WHockey on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
2025-26 WCHA Players of the Month:
January: Forward: Abbey Murphy, Minnesota; Defender: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin; Goaltender: Hailey MacLeod, Ohio State; Rookie: Bella Fanale, Minnesota
December: Forward: Jamie Nelson, Minnesota; Defender: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin; Goaltender: Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; Rookie: Maria Mikaelyan, St. Cloud State
November: Forward: Joy Dunne, Ohio State; Defender: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin; Goaltender: Hailey Hansen, Minnesota State; Rookie: Hilda Svensson, Ohio State
October: Forward: Hilda Svensson, Ohio State; Defender: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin; Goaltender: Hannah Clark, Minnesota; Rookie: Hilda Svensson, Ohio State
September: Forward: Abbey Murphy, Minnesota; Defender: Sydney Morrow, Minnesota; Goaltender: Hailey Hansen, Minnesota State; Rookie: Bella Fanale, Minnesota