Re: Miac 2011-2012
http://miac-online.org/news/2012/2/28/WHOCKEY_0228124937.aspx
Gustavus' Allie Schwab headlines MIAC Women's Hockey Awards
3/1/2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Gustavus women's hockey team captured its eighth-straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship last week, and Thursday, the Gusties had more reasons to celebrate when the conference announced its 2011-12 MIAC Women's Hockey Awards. The league champs placed four on the All-conference team, headlined by MIAC Player-of-the-Year Allie Schwab.
The Gusties weren't the only team to come away with numerous individual honors, as Schwab (Stillwater, Minn.) was joined by MIAC Shelia Brown award-winner Rachael Geng (South St. Paul, Minn.) of Bethel and MIAC Coach-of-the-Year Brett Bruininks of Concordia. Geng was also one of four Bethel players to receive All-MIAC honors, with St. Thomas also earning four All-Conference selections and Bruininks' Cobbers placing three on the team.
One look at the MIAC statistical leader board proved Schwab's worth to the Gusties' success this season as she was honored at the league's top player. The senior forward led the MIAC in goals (22), points (40) and game-winning goals (seven) in overall games, while ranking fifth in assists (18), second in power play goals (eight) and fourth in power play points (13). Schwab was just as in good in conference play, leading the league in points (30), game-winning goals (five) and power play points (nine) while finishing second in goals (16) and power play goals (five) and third in assists (14).
Schwab's offensive prowess helped the Gusties roll to their unprecedented eighth-straight league title with a 16-1-1 MIAC record and 33 points - eight more than runner-up Concordia. Gustavus finished the regular season 21-2-2 and the sixth-ranked Gusties open the MIAC Playoffs Thursday as the top seed. Schwab's Player-of-the-Year honor caps a decorated career for the senior, who added her second All-Conference selection as well. She was also named to the first team in 2009-10 with Honorable Mention honors in 2008-09 and 2010-11, with All-Rookie Team recognition in 2008-09 as well.
Geng - a senior defender for Bethel - was selected as the conference's recipient of the 2011-12 Shelia Brown Award. The award is given to a senior who has made a long-term contribution to her team's success, and who has consistently competed with good sportsmanship. Geng was selected based on four main criteria: team leadership; sportsmanship and volunteer work; academic excellence; and hockey skills and production.
In addition to her excellence off the ice, Geng was a major factor in Bethel's season, which resulted in a 12-10-4 overall record, a 9-7-2 conference mark and a trip to the MIAC Playoffs. Her 19 overall points are the fourth-most by a defensive player in the MIAC, and her 13 points in conference play also rank in the top five. She ranks eighth in the league among all players with 14 assists and 11 power play points, and her All-Conference selection comes after three-straight Honorable Mention honors her first three seasons. The fifth-seeded Royals knocked of No. 4 St. Olaf in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs Tuesday, and Thursday night Schwab and Geng will face off as their teams meet in the semifinals.
In just his second season in Concordia, Bruininks has made quite an impact on the Cobbers' program. The 2011-12 Concordia finished as the runner-up to the Gusties with a 14-4-5 overall record, a 10-3-5 MIAC mark and 25 points. The Cobbers are the No. 2 seed and have home-ice advantage against No. 3 St. Thomas in Thursday's MIAC Playoff semifinals, and are currently ranked No. 10 in all of Division III.
A win Thursday would match the program record for wins in a season, which Bruininks' team set in his first season with 15 wins in 2010-11. In just two seasons, Bruininks record is 29-12-9 overall, 18-9-9 in the MIAC, and he's taken Concordia to the MIAC Playoff semifinals both years. This season, his Concordia team placed three players on the All-Conference team, and two more on the All-Rookie Team.
Other notable honorees are senior Anna Carlson of Bethel and Kristen Latta of St. Olaf. The two were named to the All-Conference team again this season to earn the honor for each of their four collegiate seasons. Four players also earned their third All-MIAC selection, as Gustavus' Lindsay Hjelm, Concordia's Katelyn Dold and St. Olaf's Nicole Stumpf each earned their third-straight honor, and St. Thomas' Meghan Parker received the honor for the third time after also earning All-MIAC honors in 2008-09 and 2010-11.
Gustavus' Amanda Cartony, Bethel's Biz Huss, St. Thomas' Kaylee Keys and Bethel's Cristina Masten each received their second-straight All-MIAC honor this season, while St. Catherine's Kelsey Abrahamson earned the third total All-MIAC honor of her career after a first-team selection in 2009-10 and an Honorable Mention in 2008-09. In addition to the Gusties, Tommies, Royals and Cobbers on the honor squad, St. Olaf placed two players on the first team while St. Catherine, Saint Benedict, Augsburg and Hamline all had one player honored.
In addition to the individual awards and All-Conference team, the MIAC also honored an All-Rookie Team, and 14 players were named All-Conference Honorable Mention.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the sixth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women's hockey. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.
2011-12 MIAC Women's Hockey Awards
Player-of-the-Year - Allie Schwab, Gustavus (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.)
Shelia Brown Award - Rachael Geng, Bethel (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.)
Coach-of-the-Year - Brett Bruininks, Concordia (Second season)
2011-12 MIAC Women's Hockey All-Conference Team
Name Team Year Position Hometown/Previous School
Kelsey Abrahamson St. Catherine Sr. Forward Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley
Maria Bothwell St. Thomas So. Defense North St. Paul, Minn.
Anna Carlson Bethel Sr. Defense Roseville, Minn.
Mollie Carroll Gustavus Sr. Forward Eagan, Minn.
Amanda Cartony Gustavus So. Forward Stillwater, Minn.
Katelyn Dold Concordia Sr. Forward St. Cloud, Minn./Tech
Rachael Geng Bethel Sr. Defense South St. Paul, Minn.
Kerri Graske Saint Benedict Sr. Forward Stillwater, Minn.
Rachel Hennessy Augsburg Fr. Forward Williston, N.D.
Lindsey Hjelm Gustavus Jr. Defense North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View
Biz Huss Bethel Jr. Forward Beaver Bay, Minn./William H. Kelley
Nicole Jones Hamline Sr. Goaltender Mora, Minn.
Breann Julius Concordia So. Forward Brookings, S.D.
Kaylee Keys St. Thomas Sr. Forward St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall
Kristen Latta St. Olaf Sr. Defense Edina. Minn.
Cristina Masten Bethel So. Forward Fergus Falls, Minn.
Meghan Parker St. Thomas Sr. Defense West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley
Alise Riedel St. Thomas So. Goaltender Hudson, Wis.
Allie Schwab Gustavus Sr. Forward Stillwater, Minn.
Nicole Stumpf St. Olaf Jr. Forward Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray
Abby Taffe Concordia So. Forward Aberdeen, S.D./Aberdeen
2011-12 MIAC Women's Hockey All-Rookie Team
Name Team Year Position Hometown/Previous School
Carolyn Draayer Gustavus Fr. Forward Deephaven, Minn./Minnetonka
Libby Fransdal Concordia Fr. Defense Hopkins, Minn.
Madison Gendreau Concordia Fr. Forward Bismark, N.D.
Rachel Hennessy Augsburg Fr. Forward Williston, N.D.
Kalie Johnson Bethel Fr. Forward Richfield, Minn.
Shea Noerenberg St. Olaf Fr. Defense Plymouth, Minn./Orono
Brianna Schulz Augsburg Fr. Goaltender Prior Lake, Minn.
2011-12 MIAC Women's Hockey All-Conference Honorable Mention
Name Team Year Position Hometown/Previous School
Christine Brodersen Saint Benedict So. Defense Shakopee, Minn./The Breck School
Kayla Clafton St. Catherine Sr. Defense Grand Rapids, Minn.
Carolyn Draayer Gustavus Fr. Forward Deephaven, Minn./Minnetonka
Margot Fleming St. Olaf So. Forward Wayzata, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's
Corinne Henning Hamline So. Forward St. Paul, Minn./Culver Academy
Danielle Justice Gustavus Sr. Goaltender Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson
Kelsey Kennedy Gustavus Jr. Defense Eagan, Minn.
Jess Newstrom Bethel Jr. Goaltender Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti
Nicole Olson Saint Mary's Sr. Forward New Brighton, Minn./Irondale
Taylor Orr St. Olaf Sr. Forward Savage, Minn./Burnsville
Korinne O'Connor St. Thomas Jr. Forward New Ulm, Minn.
Breanna Peterson Saint Mary's Fr. Forward Macomb, Mich./Honeybaked
Christina Rozeske St. Thomas So. Forward Owatonna, Minn.
Brianna Schulz Augsburg Fr. Goaltender Prior Lake, Minn.
2011-12 Women's Hockey All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team
Augsburg - Jessica Larkin (Jr., Lakeville, Minn./South)
Bethel - Sophie Borgerding (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace)
Concordia - Abby Taffe (So., Aberdeen S.D.)
Gustavus - Danielle Justice (Sr., Alexandria, Minn./ Jefferson)
Hamline - Corinne Henning (So., St. Paul, Minn./Culver Academy)
Saint Benedict - Ally Nielson (So., Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson)
St. Catherine - Bridget Braastad (Sr., Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine)
Saint Mary's - Nicole Olson (Jr., New Brighton, Minn./Irondale)
St. Olaf - Taylor Orr (Sr., Savage, Minn./Burnsville)
St. Thomas - Jamie Tiede(Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman)
