Former Benilde-St. Margaret standout continues solid play

Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State are the two teams with players receiving Sterling Trophy Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Players of the Week honors for games played during the week of Oct. 30 through Nov. 5.

From Minnesota Duluth, graduate student Reece Hunt has been selected as the WCHA Forward of the Week and first year netminder Éve Gascon has been named as the WCHA Goalie of the Week.  Ohio State’s Emma Peschel was named as the WCHA Defender of the Week and first year forward Joy Dunne was named as the WCHA Rookie of the Week.

The WCHA will continue play on Thursday, Nov. 9 with St. Thomas and Minnesota State meeting in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women’s Face-Off Classic that will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Maple Grove Ice Arena in Maple Grove, Minn.

This will mark the only two teams playing this upcoming week in WCHA competition as the league will resume a full slate of games on Nov. 17-18.  Fans can watch the games on Nov. 17-18 via the B1G+ live stream service.

Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Week:

Reece Hunt/Minnesota Duluth/Forward/Grad. Student/Nelson, B.C.

Hunt figured in five of the eight goals Minnesota Duluth scored in their series sweep over St. Thomas on Nov. 3-4 in Duluth.  She posted back-to-back multiple point games for UMD, which included a total of two goals, three assists and five points. She was tied for second in the league for most goals (2) and most points (5) over the weekend.  In the wins over St. Thomas, Hunt compiled four shots on goal, two blocked shots and was an impressive +5 on the plus/minus charts.  Hunt now has 13 points in 10 games for the #7 ranked Bulldogs (6g, 7a).  Of note, Minnesota Duluth currently owns a six-game winning streak and is 8-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA in 2023-24.  Hunt is a resident of Nelson, B.C. and played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Female Prep team.

Others Nominated: Kirsten Simms, Wisconsin; Kiara Zanon, Ohio State; Whitney Tuttle, Minnesota State; Ava Lindsay, Minnesota;

Sterling Trophy WCHA Defender of the Week:

Emma Peschel/Ohio State/Defense/Sophomore/Edina, Minn.

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:  In a weekend sweep at Bemidji State, Emma Peschel was a driving force at the blue line for #2 ranked Ohio State in games played on Nov. 3-4.  Perschel led the Buckeyes with three blocked shots and was +7 in the two game set at Bemidji.  Peschel netted three assists over the weekend and scored a goal in OSU’s 5-0 win on Nov, 4.  She completed the series with four points and helped the Buckeye penalty kill finish 4-of-4 against BSU.  Her defensive prowess helped OSU limit Bemidji State to just 24 shots on target and one goal in the series.  Of note, Ohio State outscored BSU 14-1 in the series.  A resident of Edina, Minn., Peschel played prep hockey at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in Minnesota.  She was named the WCHA Defender of the Month for October 2023.

Others Nominated: Anna Wilgren, Wisconsin; Lilie Ramirez, Minnesota State; Nelli Laitinen, Minnesota;

Sterling Trophy WCHA Goaltender of the Week:

Éve Gascon/Minnesota Duluth/Goaltender/First Year/Mascouche, Quebec

A resident of Mascouche, Quebec, Éve Gascon earned her third shutout in six starts this season with a 4-0 victory over St. Thomas on Nov. 4 in Duluth.  In the game against the Tommies at Amsoil Arena, Gascon made 26 saves and helped improve the #7 Bulldogs to 8-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA.  Gascon has now posted clean sheets in her last two starts and has a 1.17 goals against average and a .956 save rate this season that includes 151 saves and seven goals allowed in 358:18 minutes played this year.  Her season record now stands at 4-2-0 and she has won her last three starts. Gascon is tied for the second most shutouts in the NCAA and is the only first year player to have recorded three shutouts do far in 2023-24.  Gascon also received WCHA Rookie of the Week honors on Oct. 23.

Others Nominated: Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin; Amanda Thiele, Ohio State; Suzette Faucher, Minnesota State; Lucy Morgan, Minnesota; Maggie Malecha, St. Thomas

Sterling Trophy WCHA Rookie of the Week:

Joy Dunne/Ohio State/Forward/First Year/O’Fallon, Mo.

The WCHA preseason Rookie of the Year selection, Joy Dunne led the Buckeyes (and all WCHA players) with six points and four goals in a weekend sweep at Bemidji State on Nov. 3-4.  Dunne charted her first collegiate hat trick in OSU’s 9-1 win over the Beavers on Nov. 3.  She also had an assist in that contest to finish the evening with a team-best four points.  Dunne is just the fourth first year player to record a hat trick this season and third WCHA player to record a hat trick in conference play this year.  She completed her weekend with a goal and an assist in OSU’s 5-0 win over BSU on Nov. 4.  Dunne had five shots in both games for a weekend total of 10 shots on net.  She was +5 on the plus/minus and had one power play goal to her credit in the two games.  On the season, Dunne now has four goals, six assists, 10 points and 38 shots on goal.  

Other Nominated:  Ava Murphy, Wisconsin; Lauren Zawoyski, Minnesota State; Alice Sauriol, St. Cloud State; Emma Kreisz, Minnesota; Eva Filippova, Bemidji 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.