In what has already been a truly special season for the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team, four Badgers took home yearly conference honors Monday afternoon, adding to an already impressive list of accomplishments for the 2018-19 squad.
Head Coach Mark Johnson, senior forward Annie Pankowski, junior goalie Kristen Campbell and freshman Sophie Shirley were awarded 2018-19 WCHA honors for their individual success during WCHA play this season.
Pankowski — the WCHA’s leading scorer — was awarded WCHA Offensive Player of the Year after a stellar WCHA campaign that featured 22 points on nine goals and 13 assists in conference play. With a conference-best 43 total points on 21 goals and 22 assists, along with five game-winning goals in 2018-19, Pankowski is also a finalist for both the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for NCAA Division I women’s hockey’s top player and the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
Women’s hockey: Badgers defeat St. Cloud State to advance to WCHA Final Faceoff
Campbell earned WCHA Goaltender of the Year for the second straight year after posting an NCAA-best 1.09 goals against average in 2018-19 and leading the nation in wins and shutouts. Her 30 wins make her the only Wisconsin goalie in team history to win 30 or more games in multiple seasons.
Shirley was named WCHA Rookie of the Year after being named February’s WCHA Rookie of the Month. Her 37 points on 19 goals and 18 assists this season led all WCHA rookies this season, and she was third among all WCHA players. She currently leads the nation’s rookies with a +34 plus/minus this season.
Last but not least, Johnson — the winningest coach in NCAA women’s collegiate hockey history — was named WCHA Coach of the Year after leading the Badgers to an 18-4-2 conference record this season. The Badgers’ 30-4-2 season record gives them the most wins in the country as Wisconsin looks to secure its eighth WCHA Playoff title, and fourth in the last five years, under Johnson.
No. 2 Wisconsin faces No. 3 seed Ohio State Saturday at 5 p.m. at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis in the WCHA Final Faceoff.
