WSU women's team garners CHA awards

The College Hockey America league office announced the recipients of the women's year-end awards at the CHA Championship Banquet, held at the Ford Field Corner Lounge on Wednesday evening.

Wayne State took home several honors.

Freshmen forwards Melissa Boal and Sam Poyton were named to both the All-CHA First Team and the All-Rookie Team, with Poyton also earning an Easton Hockey Three-Star Award for Wayne State. Just 34 games into their respective collegiate careers, both players had a profound impact on the team this season, setting several single-season records and rapidly climbing the all-time lists in several categories.

Boal, who became the first Warrior in history to score four goals in a game on Feb. 25 against Robert Morris, established several new WSU single-season marks, including points (47), assists (24), and power-play goals (11). She ranks tied-for-fourth all-time in points and is the active leader on the team. She also set new league records for shots on goal (194), power-play goals, and power-play points (25).

Poyton set a school record on Jan. 20 against Rensselaer when she scored her 16th goal of the season, breaking the previous mark set by Emily McGrath-Agg in the 2003-04 campaign. By the end of the regular season, Poyton tallied 28 goals, one shy of the CHA record. She currently stands as the active goal-scoring leader on the team and in second on the all-time list behind former Warriors' captain Kelly Zamora (34).

Three Warriors were named to the All-CHA Second Team: freshman forward Lindsay DiPietro, freshman defenseman Tina Vanderhoeven and senior defenseman Peyton Patterson. Vanderhoeven also joins Boal and Poyton on the All-Rookie Team.

DiPietro is tied with Boal for the school record in assists, recording 24 helpers during the regular season. She also tallied 37 points on the season, third on the single-season list behind Boal and Poyton.

Vanderhoeven surpassed all rookie defensemen in team history with 10 assists and 13 points during the regular season.

Patterson, two-time winner of the team's most improved player award, progressed in her career from playing limited minutes her freshman year to being an assistant captain in her last two seasons. With career-highs in assists (11) and points (12) this season, she climbed her way into the WSU record books, as her 26 career points rank tied for 15th all-time and her 21 assists tie for 11th.

Senior captain Jessica Snelgrove (pictured above left) was named the CHA Student-Athlete of the Year, an award given to a senior student-athlete who displays outstanding sportsmanship, a high grade-point average in progression towards a degree, and strong on-ice skills.

The Coach of the Year Award went to Jim Fetter, the first such award of his career. He has 42 victories in his three years at Wayne State, doubling the 21-win total over the previous four seasons of the program's history. Fetter's 2005-06 squad played to its best conference record (6-4-2) and is one win shy of the team-record 15 wins, set in his first season at the helm in 2003-04.

Wayne State also had 11 players named to the All-Academic Team: Jenny Cameron, Sarah Campbell, Jessica Haydahl, Ashley King, Laura Monk, Peyton Patterson, Jessica Snelgrove, Becky Sonn, Nicole Stahl, Valery Turcotte, and Danielle Wilson.

Wayne State will face Niagara in the semifinals of the CHA Tournament, hosted by WSU at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. The winner will advance to face either Mercyhurst or Robert Morris in the championship game on Sunday at 11:05 a.m.


COMPLETE LISTING OF AWARD WINNERS

All-CHA First Team
F - Melissa Boal, Wayne State
F - Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst
F - Sam Poyton, Wayne State
D - Ashley Pendleton, Mercyhurst
D - Danielle Lansing, Mercyhurst
G - Allison Rutledge, Niagara

All-CHA Second Team
F - Julia Colizza, Mercyhurst
F - Stefanie Bourbeau, Mercyhurst
F - Lindsay DiPietro, Wayne State
D - Tina Vanderhoeven, Wayne State
D - Peyton Patterson, Wayne State
G - Brianne McLaughlin, Robert Morris

All-Rookie Team
F - Melissa Boal, Wayne State
F - Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst
F - Sam Poyton, Wayne State
D - Tina Vanderhoeven, Wayne State
D - Samantha Ullrich, Robert Morris
G - Brianne McLaughlin, Robert Morris

Easton Three-Star Awards
Mercyhurst - Valerie Chouinard
Niagara - Allison Rutledge
Robert Morris - Brianne McLaughlin
Wayne State - Sam Poyton

CHA Easton Three-Star Player of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Student-Athlete of the Year
Jessica Snelgrove, Wayne State

Rookie of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Player of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Coach of the Year
Jim Fetter, Wayne State