University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey goaltender Maddie Rooney was named the 2018 Team Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation at the 39th Annual Salute to Women in Sports Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Rooney, who will join past winners like Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore (2017) and World Cup champion Carli Lloyd (2015), was one of 10 finalists that was chosen based on their amazing athletic performances from the last 12 months.  The public and the Women's Sports Foundation's Awards Committee select the award winners by a 50-50 vote. The winners are the athletes who received the highest combined share of a public vote (50% of composite) and the Awards Committee vote (50% of the composite).

Rooney helped lead the U.S. Olympic Team to its first gold medal in 20 years this past February after she led all goaltenders with a 1.16 goals-against average, posted a second-best .945 save percentage, and recorded 87 saves over four games, allowing just five goals at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.  Rooney captured the hearts of American sports fans when the current Bulldog junior kept a fiery Canadian Olympic side from scoring in a shootout, clinching the gold for the U.S.

The Bulldogs and Rooney will host Bemidji State University this weekend at AMSOIL Arena in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdown.  The puck will drop on both Friday and Saturday afternoon at 3:07 p.m.
 

PAST TEAM SPORT WINNERS

Maya Moore		2017
Ashleigh Johnson		2016
Carli Lloyd		2015
Meryl Davis		2014
Candace Parker		2013
Alex Morgan		2012
Abby Wambach		2011
Katie O'Donnell		2010
Jessie Vetter		2009
Jessica Mendoza		2008
Monica Abbott		2007
Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh		2006
Cat Osterman		2005
Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh		2004
Lisa Leslie		2003
Sue Bird		2002
Lisa Leslie		2001
Serena & Venus Williams		2000
Mia Hamm		1999
Cynthia Cooper		1998
Mia Hamm		1997
Teresa Edwards		1996
Rebecca Lobo		1995
Lisa Fernandez		1994
Sheryl Swoopes		1993