Today the Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced their 2005-2006 award winners. University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey goaltender Riitta Schaublin earned top honors on the team, earning a spot on the WCHA All-First Team and being named the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year.

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2006 Women's WCHA Award Winners

A junior goaltender from Basel, Switzerland, Schaublin ranked among the league goaltending leaders. She finished the regular season ranked second with a .938 save percentage and was third with a 1.66 goals against average. She also led all league goaltenders with 16 wins on the season. The 2006 Patty Kazmaier Top-10 Finalist will complete her undergraduate degree in mathematics this year and will enroll in the UMD Math Department's master's program during her final year of athletic eligibility. She also is currently studying for the first of several actuary exams with plans to become an actuary. Off the ice, she participates in numerous community outreach programs and serves as a math tutor for fellow student-athletes. Schaublin also shares her talents as a coach to youth goalies in the Duluth, Minn. area. Schaublin is only the second UMD player to earn the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year award, the first was one year ago by then-senior F Caroline Ouellette.

Fellow Patty Kazmaier Top-10 Finalist, Noemie Marin, and sophomore D Rachael Drazan were named to the WCHA All-Second Team. Marin has tallied a total of 38 points, including a team high 21 goals. The Acton-Vale, Que. native currently ranks second in the WCHA standing in goal scoring (17) and second behind All-WCHA Third Team and WCHA All-Rookie team selection Michaela Lanzl in power-play goals.

Lanzl, who missed the last three series of the year while at the 2006 Winter Olympics for Team Germany, is the only freshman from the Bulldogs to earn a spot on the All-Rookie team. The Geretsmed, Germany native, has tallied 29 points this season, including a WCHA and team leading eight power-play goals.

Joining Lanzl on the WCHA All-Third Team is senior D Krista McArthur. This is the third WCHA honor for the Alliston, Ontario native. The 2005-2006 co-captain was named to the WCHA All-Rookie and WCHA All-First Team her freshman season (2002-2003).

The Bulldogs also had nine team members named to the WCHA All-Academic team. Junior D Rachael Bertram, sophomore F Karine Demeule, Drazan, sophomore F Erin Holznagel, junior F Jessica Koizumi, Allison Lehrke, Marin, Schaublin, and junior D Suvi Vacker.

To earn a position on the WCHA ll-Academic Team, each player must meet the following criteria: 1) Must have completed at least one year of eligibility at present institution, prior to current academic year; 2) Have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for the two previous semesters or three quarters; 3) Have competed in at least one-half of her institution’s varsity intercollegiate ice hockey games during the current season (goaltenders must have played in 33 percent of all games).

Earlier this season Bertram, Koizumi, Marin, Schaublin, and Vacker were all named WCHA Scholar Athletes. To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his or her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

The Bulldogs, 22-7-3 overall, will face the University of Minnesota on Saturday, March 11 at 4:07 p.m. in the semi-finals of the 2006 WCHA Playoff Championships at Ridder Arena.