By Bobby Ehrlich
the daily cardinal
In the midst of preparations for a huge weekend of hockey in North Dakota, several Badgers were honored by the WCHA for their performances this season.
Freshman phenom Annie Pankowski was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year, the third Badger to be chosen for this award. Pankowski was a dynamic offensive threat throughout the campaign, notching 18 goals and 21 assists. Her points per game average of 1.11 was second in the country. In addition to the Rookie of the Year award, she was named to the All-WCHA Second Team and, obviously, the All-WCHA Rookie Team.
Senior captain Blayre Turnbull was the only Badger named to the All-WCHA First Team, an honor that is certainly well deserved. After a late offensive surge, Turnbull’s current mark of 15 goals puts her just behind Pankowski for second on the team. She also added 18 assists for an impressive 33 points, all while being the leader of the third best team in the country.
Redshirt senior forward Brittany Ammerman, Turnbull’s linemate, was selected for the All-WCHA Second Team with Pankowski. Ammerman sits at third on the team in points with 34, thanks to 13 goals and a whopping 23 assists.
Three Badgers were chosen for the All-WCHA Third Team: senior forward Karley Sylvester, junior defenseman Courtney Burke and sophomore goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Sylvester, who plays on the same line as Turnbull and Ammerman, led the squad in assists with 24 and plus/minus rating, with a +30 mark. Burke, arguably the team’s best defenseman, leads all Badger defenders in assists with 18 and points with 22. Desbiens has been stellar in goal all season, earning 13 shutouts, good for second best in the nation, and a 1.14 goals against average, which is third best in the country.
Freshman forward Emily Clark was named to the All-Rookie team with her linemate Pankowski. In her first collegiate year, she lit the lamp 11 times, while accumulating 14 assists. She is fifth on the team with 25 total points.
The now decorated Badgers travel to North Dakota for the WCHA Final Face-Off, which begins with a tilt against North Dakota Saturday at 5 p.m
