Re: WCHA Awards
The theories are probably right - close votes, etc., but you'd think there would be an override - like if you're POY that you automatically bump the lowest player on the first team or something like that - it just makes the award seem kind of stupid when the "best player in the conference" isn't one of the top six players.
Nelson and Tomcikova are both wonderful choices - both were absolutely instrumental in any success their respective teams had. That being said there are other deserving players - i get that - and the vote was probably close. For example, having Raty on the first team for goalie totally makes sense - she is wonderful - and there were probably some people willing to vote for her as 1st team, but not POY because she's a freshman - just a guess? Anyway, I still think the right thing to do at that point - if Tomcikova is going to be co-POY - is to bump Raty to the 2nd team (or vote for her as POY).
Nelson is a really tough one for me to to think about - she's senior, co-POY and a Patty Kazmaier finalist, leader in goals scored - and not first team. That just seems weird. I think it would have made more sense to move Spooner to the second team - great player, did well - should still be honored, but not above Nelson.
Of course by my logic, with Raty as a PK finalist she should stay 1st team! So who knows, but bottom line it just seems to diminish the value of POY if you don't also become first team all-conference.
