The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team had a record 15 student-athletes named 2020-21 Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Scholar-Athlete Award recipients Thursday.

Of the 15 (the Bulldogs only had 18 eligible players for the award since freshmen aren't considered) honorees to the league's most prestigious academic award, nine are repeat recipients, including a trio of three-time selections -- senior forward Anna Klein (Edina, Minn.), senior defenseman Ashton Bell (Deloraine, Manitoba) and redshirt junior Naomi Rogge (Eden Prairie, UMD also had seven players named as repeat honorees --  juniors Taylor Anderson (Eagan, Minn.), Kylie Hanley (Minnetonka, Minn.), McKenzie Hewett (Edmonton, Alberta), Anneke Linser (Lino Lakes, Minn,), Lizi Norton (Orono, Minn.), Kailee Skinner (Penticton, B.C.) and Emma Soderberg (Jarved, Sweden).

The rest of UMD's 2020-21 WCHA Scholar-Athletes are senior Monique Aanenson (Moorhead , Minn.), sophomore  Kassy Betinol (Okotoks, Alberta),  sophomore Mannon McMahon (Maple Grove, Minn.), senior McKenzie Revering (Alexandria, Minn.) and sophomore Taylor Stewart (Rochester, Minn).

As a program, UMD has now had 95 WCHA Scholar Athletes since the league began the honor, and 13 student-athletes have earned the distinction three times.

The WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award was developed through member team Faculty Representatives and approved by the conference membership for the 2005-06 season. 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/her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.