2010–11 WCHA women's ice hockey season

The 2010–11 WCHA women's ice hockey season marked the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

among Western Collegiate Hockey Association

Western Collegiate Hockey Association

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

members.

Offseason

June 18: Six University of Minnesota players have been named to the United States Under-22 Team. Megan Bozek, Sarah Erickson, Amanda Kessel, Anne Schleper, Jen Schoullis and Emily West have all been named to the team. The Minnesota contingent is the largest group from one school.
June 29: In March 2012, Minnesota Duluth will be the host school for the 2012 NCAA Division l Frozen Four women's tournament. The tournament will be held at the new Amsoil Arena, next to the current Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The Bulldogs hosted the Frozen Four in both 2008 and 2003.
September 22: Hilary Knight
Hilary Knight
Hilary Knight is an American writer-artist who is the illustrator of more than 50 books and the author of nine books. He is best known as the illustrator of Kay Thompson's Eloise and others in the Eloise series....

from Wisconsin was selected as the WCHA Pre-Season Player of the Year while Amanda Kessel
Amanda Kessel
Amanda Kessel is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.-Playing career:...

from Minnesota was the WCHA Pre-Season Rookie of the Year.
September 28: In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs have been voted as the pre-season Number 1.

Exhibition

|Sept. 26 >

Date	NCAA school	Opponent	Score	NCAA goal scorers
Sept. 25	North Dakota	Toronto Aeros	9-0	Sara Dagenais, Mary Loken (2), Jocelyne Lamoureux (3), Monique Lamoureux (2)
Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s ice hockey team plays for the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. The team is one of the members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in Division I...	Manitoba	8-0	Amanda Kessel (3), Emily West (2), Jen Schoullis, Becky Kortum, Nikki Ludwigson
Oct. 2	Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes women's ice hockey The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s ice hockey team represents Ohio State University in NCAA Division I competition in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The team plays homegames at OSU Ice Rink, located on the Ohio State campus in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...	Wilfird Laurier	Ohio State, 2-0	Hokey Langan, Tina Hollowell

News and notes

September 13: The Minnesota-Bulldogs visit the White House and are honored in a Rose Garden ceremony with President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

as the 2010 NCAA National Champions.

October 1: In her first game as a Golden Gopher, Amanda Kessel registered four points (two goals, two assists) in a 5-0 victory over Clarkson. The following day, Kessel scored the game-winning goal as the Gophers won by a 3-0 score.

Oct 5: North Dakota was ranked 10th in the Uscho.com poll. It is only the second time in program history that the club was in the top 10 in either the USA Today or Uscho.com poll. The last time came during the 2008-09 season after a 7-2-1 start.

Oct 11: In front of 1,469 fans, the Fighting Sioux defeated top-ranked Minnesota Duluth by a 4-2 mark. It marks the second time in the past two seasons that the Sioux have defeated a number one ranked team. The first time North Dakota beat a #1 team was against Wisconsin in 2009. This is also the first time that the Sioux have beaten the Bulldogs at home (and the third win against them ever).

October 16: Alana McElhinney made a career-high 56 saves. In the game, Bemidji State had its first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team as they defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers by a 5-3 mark.

October 29–30: Erin Cody had the biggest weekend of her collegiate career. She was involved in all seven of the Bemidji State’s goals, as the Beavers swept St. Cloud State. Cody had five goals and two assists, and was a factor in both game-winning goals. Cody earned the First Star of the Game honors in both games. In the first game, Cody scored a natural hat trick (a power-play, shorthanded, and even-strength goal). All three goals were scored in the first period and set a Beavers record for most goals scored by a single player in one period. In the second game, Cody had two goals and two assists.
October 22: Rookie Kathleen Rogan scored a hat trick as Minnesota State beat eighth ranked North Dakota. Rogan's hat trick marks is the first for Minnesota State since Maverick Ashley Young scord three goals against Bemidji State in 2008.

On October 23, 2010, Jocelyne Lamoureux
Jocelyne Lamoureux
Jocelyne Lamoureux is an American ice hockey forward. She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics along with her twin sister Monique, winning a silver medal. Both sisters have dual American and Canadian citizenship...

had a hat trick and one assist. In addition, one of her goals was the game-winning goal. The hat trick was the first by a North Dakota player since Cami Wooster in 2005.

Jan 21-22: Wisconsin right winter Meghan Duggan led the top-ranked Badgers with four scoring points in a win and tie at defending national champion Minnesota Duluth. Duggan registered two goals and two assists against the Bulldogs, recorded nine shots on goal and finished with a +4 plus/minus rating in the two games. She led all players with three points in the January 21 win (4-1). She scored the Badgers first goal of the game (it was the first women’s college hockey goal scored at the Bulldogs new AMSOIL Arena). In the second period, she assisted on a power-play tally to give Wisconsin a 3-0 lead. In the final two minutes, she had an empty net goal. The following day, both clubs skated to a 4-4 tie (Wisconsin prevailed 2-1 in the shootout). Duggan assisted on the Badgers’ second goal of the game and extended her current point streak to 22 games, the longest individual point streak in Wisconsin women’s hockey history. On January 21, she broke the previous mark of 20 games set by Meghan Hunter from Oct. 14, 2000 to Jan. 12, 2001.

The January 29, 2011 game between Wisconsin and Minnesota was played before a women’s college hockey record crowd of 10,668.

National rankings

October 12: The WCHA had five of its teams ranked in the two national polls for the week. It is believed to be the first time five WCHA teams have ever been ranked among the top 10 in the nation at one time.

Week of	WCHA schools	USA Today Rank	USCHO Rank
September 27	Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s ice hockey team plays for the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. The team is one of the members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in Division I... Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey The Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.-History:On October 8, 1999, the Bulldogs played the Wisconsin Badgers in the first ever Women's WCHA conference game at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI...		1 4 5
October 4	Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Wisconsin North Dakota North Dakota Fighting Sioux women's ice hockey The North Dakota Fighting Sioux women's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...		1 4 5
October 11	Minnesota Wisconsin Minnesota Duluth North Dakota Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes women's ice hockey The Ohio State Buckeyes women’s ice hockey team represents Ohio State University in NCAA Division I competition in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The team plays homegames at OSU Ice Rink, located on the Ohio State campus in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...		3 4 5 8 10
October 18	Wisconsin Minnesota Duluth North Dakota Minnesota Ohio State		1 4 6 8 10
October 25
November 1
November 8
November 15
November 22
November 29

Players of the week

Throughout the conference regular season, WCHA offices names a player of the week each Monday.

Week	Player of the week
October 5	Hilary Knight Hilary Knight Hilary Knight is an American writer-artist who is the illustrator of more than 50 books and the author of nine books. He is best known as the illustrator of Kay Thompson's Eloise and others in the Eloise series.... , Wisconsin
October 12	Carolyne Prevost, Wisconsin
October 19	Laura McIntosh, Ohio State
October 26	Tie: Jocelyne Lamoureux Jocelyne Lamoureux Jocelyne Lamoureux is an American ice hockey forward. She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics along with her twin sister Monique, winning a silver medal. Both sisters have dual American and Canadian citizenship... , North Dakota and Anne Schleper, Minnesota
November 3	Erin Cody, Bemidji State
November 10	Nina Tikkinen Nina Tikkinen Nina Tikkinen is a member of the 2009–10 Finland women's ice hockey national team and also plays for the Minnesota State University, Mankato.-Finland:... , MSU-Mankato
November 17	Nina Tikkinen, MSU-Mankato
November 24	Haley Irwin, Minnesota-Duluth
December 1	Laura McIntosh, Ohio State
December 8	Haley Irwin Haley Irwin Haley Irwin is a member of the 2009–10 Hockey Canada national women's team and also plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.-Playing career:... , Minnesota Duluth
January 5	Hilary Knight Hilary Knight (ice hockey) Hilary Knight is an American ice hockey forward. She is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team.... , Wisconsin
January 12	(Tie) Monique Lamoureux-Kolls, North Dakota and Erin Johnson, Bemidji State
January 19	Hilary Knight, Wisconsin
January 26	Meghan Duggan Meghan Duggan Meghan Duggan is an American ice hockey forward who represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. She also represented the United States at three Women's World Championships, capturing two gold medals and one silver. Duggan played collegiate hockey with the... , Wisconsin
February 2	Natalie Spooner Natalie Spooner Natalie Spooner played for the Canadian National women's ice hockey team from 2007 to 2008, and rejoined the program in 2010. Currently, she competes for the Ohio State Buckeyes women's ice hockey program... , Ohio State
February 9	Amanda Kessel Amanda Kessel Amanda Kessel is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.-Playing career:... , Minnesota
February 16	Meghan Duggan Meghan Duggan Meghan Duggan is an American ice hockey forward who represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. She also represented the United States at three Women's World Championships, capturing two gold medals and one silver. Duggan played collegiate hockey with the... , Wisconsin
February 23	Pernilla Winberg, Minnesota-Duluth
March 2

Defensive Players of the week

Week	Def. Player of the week
October 5	Zuzana Tomcikova Zuzana Tomčíková Zuzana Tomčíková is a member of the Slovakia women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Bemidji State Beavers. Tomčíková was part of the team that finished in eighth place at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games... , Bemidji State
October 12	Stephanie Ney, North Dakota
October 19	Alana McElhinney, Bemidji State and Jordan Slavin, North Dakota
October 26	Noora Raty Noora Räty Noora Räty is a member of the Finland women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers .-Playing career:... , Minnesota
November 3	Shannon Reilly, Ohio State
November 10	Jordan Slavin, North Dakota
November 17	Stephanie Ney, North Dakota
November 24	Noora Raty, Minnesota
December 1	Kim Martin, Minnesota-Duluth
December 8	Ashley Nixon, St. Cloud State
January 5	Anne Dronen, Wisconsin
January 12	Noora Raty, Minnesota
January 19	Monique Lamoureux, North Dakota
January 26	Stephanie Ney, North Dakota
February 2	Laura Fridfinnson, Minnesota Duluth
February 9	(Tie) Laura Fridfinnson, Minnesota Duluth Monique Lamoureux, North Dakota
February 16	Jocelyne Larocque Jocelyne Larocque Jocelyne Dawn Marie Larocque is a women’s ice hockey player for Canada women's national ice hockey team and former defensemen the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs... , Minnesota Duluth
February 23	Megan Bozek, Minnesota
March 2

Rookies of the week

Throughout the conference regular season, WCHA offices names a rookie of the week each Monday.

Week	Player of the week
October 5	Amanda Kessel, Minnesota
October 12	Lisa Steffes, Ohio State
October 19	Becky Allis, Ohio State
October 26	Kathleen Rogan, Minnesota State University
November 3	Brittany Ammerman, Wisconsin
November 10	Brienna Gillanders, Minnesota-Duluth
November 17	Kathleen Rogan, Minnesota State University
November 24	Madison Kolls, Wisconsin
December 1	Alex Rigsby, Wisconsin
December 8	Kelly Terry, Minnesota
January 5	Madison Packer, Wisconsin
January 12	Amanda Kessel Amanda Kessel Amanda Kessel is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.-Playing career:... , Minnesota
January 19	Lisa Steffes, Ohio State
January 26	Sarah Davis, Minnesota
February 2	Alex Rigsby, Wisconsin
February 9	Jamie Kenyon, Minnesota-Duluth
February 16	Molli Mott, St. Cloud State
February 23	Madison Packer, Wisconsin
March 2

Final faceoff

NCAA tournament

March 6: Three teams from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, winners of the last 11 women's national championship, have been selected to play in the quarterfinals of the 2011 NCAA Div. 1 Hockey Championships. No. 1 Wisconsin (34-2-2) will host defending national champion Minnesota Duluth (22-8-3) in the quarterfinal round. The Badgers earned the WCHA's automatic berth to the national tournament after winning the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF. Minnesota (26-9-2) will play at No. 3 seed Boston College (23-6-6). UW defeated Minnesota 5-4 in overtime in the championship game.

Awards and honors

Brianna Decker, 2011 Second Team All-America
Meghan Duggan
Meghan Duggan
Meghan Duggan is an American ice hockey forward who represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. She also represented the United States at three Women's World Championships, capturing two gold medals and one silver. Duggan played collegiate hockey with the...

, 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award
Patty Kazmaier Award
The Patty Kazmaier Award is given to the top woman college ice hockey player in the United States. The award is presented during the women's annual ice hockey championship, the Frozen Four...

winner
Meghan Duggan, 2011 First Team All-America
Hilary Knight
Hilary Knight (ice hockey)
Hilary Knight is an American ice hockey forward. She is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team....

, 2011 First Team All-America
Jocelyne Larocque
Jocelyne Larocque
Jocelyne Dawn Marie Larocque is a women’s ice hockey player for Canada women's national ice hockey team and former defensemen the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs...

, 2011 First Team All-America selection
Noora Raty
Noora Räty
Noora Räty is a member of the Finland women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers .-Playing career:...

, 2011 Second Team All-America