3/4/2010 - WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY BSU picks up handful of postseason awards

Print Email RSS Share

MADISON, Wis. — The Bemidji State women’s hockey team was honored with multiple postseason awards as goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova (So., Bratislava, Slovakia) was named Co-Player of the Year and All-WCHA Second Team, along with sophomore defender Montana Vichorek (Moose Lake, Minn.) being named All-WCHA Third Team, and head coach Steve Sertich being named the Coach of the Year, the league announced Thursday.

After a stellar freshman campaign Tomcikova has made an even better sophomore debut this season gathering 781 saves on 829 shots. She currently has a .942 save percentage on the season while recording a 1.90 goals against average.

In just her second year at BSU, she has set a number of school records including most wins in a season (10, T-1st), most shutouts in a season (5), most shutouts in a career (8), highest save percentage in a career (.928) and she looks to set the record for highest save percentage in a single season at the completion of this year’s campaign.

Tomcikova was honored as WCHA Defensive Player of The Week  a total of four times this season. Last year she set a conference record after receiving the honor for three consecutive weeks.

Vichorek receives her first postseason honor being named to the All-WCHA Third Team. So far this season she has recorded five goals and 12 assists, including the game-winning goal against St. Cloud State on Sunday, Feb. 28, to secure the Beavers first trip to the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF. She is currently fourth on the team in scoring with 17 points, which leads all defensemen. Vichorek is also tied for 6th in the conference for defenseman scoring.

Coach Sertich was named WCHA Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. Sertich has posted a 12-18-7 (9-12-7-3 WCHA) record so far in the 2009-10 campaign. The nine conference wins ties for the most conference wins in a season at BSU, the previous nine-win mark was set in Sertich’s first year in Bemidji, 2006-07.

Bemidji State had ten student-athletes named to the WCHA All-Academic Team. Earning WCHA All-Academic honors for the Beavers were: Erin Babineau (So., F, St. Paul, Minn.)Annie Bauerfeld* (Sr., F, Woodbury, Minn.), Erin Cody* (Jr., F, Roseville, Minn.), Franny Dorr* (Sr., F, Roseville, Minn.), Emily Erickson (So., F, Coleraine, Minn.), Alana McElhinney (So., G, Calgary, Alberta), Jackie Robertson* (Sr., D, Inver Grove Heights, Minn), Zuzana Tomcikova, Montana Vichorek, Marlee Wheelhouse (So., D/F, Crookston, Minn.), Lauren Williams (So., F, Eagan, Minn.). * designates repeat winners.

To qualify for the All-WCHA Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed one year of eligibility at present institution, prior to the current academic year, and have a grade point average of at least 3.0 for the previous two semesters or three quarters.

2009-10 All-WCHA Awards

First team
Forwards:
     Natalie Spooner (So., OSU)
     Emmanuelle Blais (Sr., UMD)
     Emily West (Sr., UM)
Defense:    
      Anne Schleper (So., UM)
      Jaime Rasmussen (Sr., UMD)
Goalie:
      Noora Räty (Fr., UM)

Second team
Forwards:
     Felicia Nelson (Sr., SCSU)
     Hokey Langan (Fr., OSU)
     Holly Roberts (Sr., SCSU)
     Laura Fridfinnson (Jr., UMD)
Defense:    
      Megan Bozek (Fr., UM)
      Rachel Davis (Sr., OSU)
Goalie:
      Zuzana Tomcikova (So., BSU)

Third team
Forwards:
     Brooke Ammerman (So., UW)
     Caitlin Hogan (Sr., SCSU)
Defense:    
      Montana Vichorek (So., BSU)
      Stefanie McKeough (Fr., UW)
Goalie:
      Jennifer Harss (Fr., UMD)

All Rookie team
Forwards:
     Hokey Langan (OSU)                  
     Katherine Wilson (UMD)                  
     Brianna Decker (UW)
Defense:   
     Megan Bozek (UM)                
     Stefanie McKeough (UW)
Goalie:     
     Noora Räty (UM)

Turfer Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
     Caitlin Hogan (Sr., OSU)
 
Scoring champion  
     Hokey Langan (Fr., OSU)
 
Goaltending champion  
     Noora Räty (Fr., UM)
 
Defensive player of the year
     Anne Schleper (So., UM)
 
Coach of the year
     Steve Sertich (BSU)
 
Rookie of the year
     Hokey Langan (Fr., OSU)
 
Players of the year
     Zuzana Tomcikova (So., BSU)
     Felicia Nelson (Sr., SCSU)

The conference head coaches and assistant coaches vote for the WCHA award winners. The WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Award was chosen by the head coaches, while the Turfer WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year was selected by the institutional faculty representatives.

- bsu -