2008 Woodie Awards
WCHA women remain national powerhouse
Travis Weldon
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Sports
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When you think of the WCHA, you naturally think of a premier college hockey conference.
It's no surprise that many people just think of the men's league when the WCHA is brought into any college hockey debate, but the men's league is not near as deep as the women's league.
NCAA sponsored hockey for women starting in 2001. Since then, there have only been three champions, all from the WCHA.
The most recent, Wisconsin Badgers, completed back-to-back championships. In both of the championship games, the Badgers knocked off a WCHA foe, Minnesota in 2006 and Minnesota-Duluth in 2007.
Prior to that, it was Minnesota's turn for back-to-back championships.
Even before that, Minnesota-Duluth became the first NCAA women's hockey three-peat.
One by one, these three programs are head and shoulders above the rest in the league.
Starting with the Badgers, the team only lost one game last season and finished with a 36-1-4 record, including winning the last 12 games. In the NCAA tournament, the Badgers only allowed one goal.
Four players averaged over a goal a season, and the two main goalies, Christine Dufour and Jessie Vetter, averaged less than a goal a game.
This season marks a new presence behind the bench for Minnesota, as Laura Halldorson, a name that built the program into a powerhouse, will leave. Halldorson leaves with a 278-67-22 record during an 11-year tenure at Minnesota and a total record of 337-142-31 in her 18-year career.
After already seeing Minnesota-Duluth playing this year, I haven't seen many performances that are up there with goaltender Kim Martin's performance last Friday.
The statistics make the Huskies offense look like a joke. The Huskies went 0-for-22 on the power play. Martin made 56 saves in the series.
The only goal Martin came close to letting in was quickly overturned because the puck was kicked in.
Duluth's head coach Shannon Miller has an impressive record of 200-57-24.
It's no surprise that many people just think of the men's league when the WCHA is brought into any college hockey debate, but the men's league is not near as deep as the women's league.
NCAA sponsored hockey for women starting in 2001. Since then, there have only been three champions, all from the WCHA.
The most recent, Wisconsin Badgers, completed back-to-back championships. In both of the championship games, the Badgers knocked off a WCHA foe, Minnesota in 2006 and Minnesota-Duluth in 2007.
Prior to that, it was Minnesota's turn for back-to-back championships.
Even before that, Minnesota-Duluth became the first NCAA women's hockey three-peat.
One by one, these three programs are head and shoulders above the rest in the league.
Starting with the Badgers, the team only lost one game last season and finished with a 36-1-4 record, including winning the last 12 games. In the NCAA tournament, the Badgers only allowed one goal.
Four players averaged over a goal a season, and the two main goalies, Christine Dufour and Jessie Vetter, averaged less than a goal a game.
This season marks a new presence behind the bench for Minnesota, as Laura Halldorson, a name that built the program into a powerhouse, will leave. Halldorson leaves with a 278-67-22 record during an 11-year tenure at Minnesota and a total record of 337-142-31 in her 18-year career.
After already seeing Minnesota-Duluth playing this year, I haven't seen many performances that are up there with goaltender Kim Martin's performance last Friday.
The statistics make the Huskies offense look like a joke. The Huskies went 0-for-22 on the power play. Martin made 56 saves in the series.
The only goal Martin came close to letting in was quickly overturned because the puck was kicked in.
Duluth's head coach Shannon Miller has an impressive record of 200-57-24.