Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Women’s Notes: Teammates Simms, O’Brien Sit 1-2 in Scoring Race

Reigning NCAA Scoring Champ Serdachny in Pursuit of Wisconsin Duo

With only two weeks remaining in the women’s college hockey regular season, much of the nation’s attention will rightfully be directed toward conference races and positioning for the NCAA Tournament.

But the NCAA’s individual scoring title also remains very much up for grabs as the postseason nears.

Wisconsin sophomore F Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Mich.) – the country’s only player averaging two points per game – is the current leader with 56 points in 28 contests. Her closest pursuer is teammate Casey O’Brien (Sr., Milton, Mass.), who has logged 52 points in 30 games. The duo combined for 13 points in the Badgers’ series sweep of Bemidji State last weekend.

Two other players have also crossed the 50-point threshold: Colgate’s Danielle Serdachny (Gr., Edmonton, Alberta) and Cornell’s Izzy Daniel (Gr., Minneapolis, Minn.), who have 51 and 50 points, respectively.

Serdachny is chasing her second consecutive NCAA scoring crown after racking up 71 points in 40 games a year ago. She would become the first player since Boston College’s Alex Carpenter in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to lead the country in points in back-to-back seasons.

Behind Serdachny and Daniel, a trio of players sit on 49 points, including St. Lawrence’s Abby Hustler (Jr., St. Louis, Prince Edward Island), who is in the midst of a season-long 11-game point streak.

Click HERE to view the complete national leaderboard.

Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Hockey Humanitarian Finalists:

The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation earlier this week unveiled its five finalists for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award, which goes to the college hockey’s “finest citizen” for leadership in community service.

The five finalists included Merrimack D Raice Szott (Sr., Daysland, Alberta) and Syracuse F Sarah Thompson (Sr., Ottawa, Ontario). Cornell D Hank Kempf (Jr., Wilmette, Ill.), Penn State F Dylan Lugris (Jr., Buffalo, N.Y.) and Long Island F Jack Quinn (Sr., Lancaster, Mass.) rounded out the finalists.

Click HERE for more information on each finalist. The winner will be announced April 12 at the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Saint Paul.

Emma’s Evening:

Robert Morris graduate G Emma Gorski (Wallaceburg, Ontario) turned in a record-breaking performance in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win over No. 14 Penn State, stopping a school-record 65 shots.

Gorski’s effort also enabled the Colonials to clinch a berth in the CHA playoffs in the program’s first season back from a two-year hiatus. Teammate Janelle Evans (Fr., Bethune, Saskatchewan) provided the OT-winning goal.

“It was amazing having my family here,” said Gorski, who transferred to RMU after four years at Merrimack. “I love every chance I get to step in the crease. It was an electric feeling to win this game on Senior Day.”

Gorski’s 65 saves tied the 2023-24 CHA season-high and ranked as the sixth-best single-game total in conference history.

Fit To Print:

“For Allie to get a shutout in her 100th game was extra special. When we had a timeout with just more than a minute to play, our conversation was anything to keep the puck out of the net we needed to do. At that point, we were playing for ‘AK’ and everything she has given us all year.”

— Syracuse Head Coach Britni Smith following Saturday’s 3-0 win over RIT, the 100th collegiate game for fifth-year G Allie Kelley (East Berne, N.Y.). It was her 10th career shutout (source: Cuse.com)

PWHL Note of the Week:

Three NCAA alumni were involved in the first trade in PWHL history last Sunday.

Boston acquired D Abby Cook (Boston University, 2016-20) and F Susanna Tapani (North Dakota, 2013-14) from Minnesota for D Sophie Jaques (Ohio State, 2018-23).

Cook has one goal and is plus-3 in nine games this season, while Tapani has two goals and three assists in nine contests and is tied for the league lead with a plus-7 rating. Jaques has appeared in seven games but has yet to register a point.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Top-ranked Ohio State enters the week with a 23-1-0 record in WCHA play, tying the program record for most conference wins in a season … OSU D Cayla Barnes (Gr., Eastvale, Calif.) and Clarkson D Nicole Gosling (Sr., London, Ontario) each collected their 100th career point on Saturday. Gosling’s milestone came on her overtime winner – her second OT tally of the weekend – at Quinnipiac … Union sophomore F Riley Walsh (Duxbury, Mass.) set Union’s single-season (Division I era) scoring record when she collected her 25th point in Friday’s 3-2 loss to No. 4 Colgate … Former Providence defender Vicki Movsessian-Lamoriello will be inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in August. Movsessian-Lamoriello starred for the Friars from 1990-94 and won a gold medal with the United States at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

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Did you know? 97% of NCAA Division I women’s hockey players earn their degree!