Just days after the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team secured its highest Western Collegiate Hockey Association finish in a decade, the Bulldogs found themselves well represented in the league honors presented by Sterling Trophy and announced Wednesday.
Ashton Bell was named a All-WCHA First Team defenseman and Emma Soderberg an All-WCHA First Team goaltender, while Gabbie Hughes was named an All-WCHA Second Team forward, and with her, Anna Klein named an All-WCHA Second Team forward. Bell is now a two-time All-WCHA First Team selection after picking up the honor last season, and Hughes is a two-time All-WCHA Second Team honoree after also earning the award last year.
Bell becomes UMD's first two-time All-WCHA First Team selection since All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque got the nod twice in 2010-11 and 2008-09. The Deloraine, Manitoba native -- in just her second season anchoring the Bulldog blueline, has emerged as one of the best in not only the WCHA but the entire NCAA. Bell ranked second among all defenseman in the WCHA with a 0.75 points per game average after registering three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 16 regular season skates, which also ranked her seventh in the NCAA. The senior team captain owns the highest plus/minus rating among her peers at +19, which also ranked second among all positions in the league. Bell is now just two goals shy of cracking UMD's top-10 list of goals scored by a defensemen with 14 in two seasons -- the No. 10 spot, currently held by Satu Kiipeli, is 16 goals. In part because of Bell and Soderberg, the Bulldogs also wrapped up the regular season claiming the league's stingiest defense, allowing just 1.44 goals per game in their 16 skates. Bell was twice named the WCHA's Defenseman of the Week this season.
No UMD player picked up more honors over the regular season than Soderberg, whose current 
grasp on the WCHA's Goaltender of the Month honor extends back to December. The Jarved, Sweden product was a three-time WCHA Goaltender of the Month, as well as a three-time WCHA Goaltender of the Week, and was already named the WCHA's 2020-21 Goaltending Champion earlier this week. The junior goaltender blossomed in her first season as the Bulldogs starter, and finished the regular season with the WCHA's lowest goals against -- a 1.34, which if she held on to, would rank her with the third lowest single-season goals against mark in UMD history. That goals against average currently ranks her second in the NCAA, and her league-best .951 saves percentage also sets her at third in the NCAA. Soderberg has made 404 saves, and has twice made more than 40 saves, including a career-best of 45 against Wisconsin in the regular season title game last Saturday and a career series best of 77 against Ohio State University back on Jan. 15-16. With five shutouts this season, Soderberg is also tied for the WCHA lead and ranks second in the NCAA. Soderberg becomes just the third different UMD goaltender in program history to be named an All-WCHA First Team selection. While there have been six different netminders honored on multiple All-WCHA Teams over a number of seasons, Soderberg joins Kim Martin (2007-08) and Riitta Schaublin (2004-05, 2005-06) as the only three All-WCHA First Team selections.
After shoring up other parts of her game in the first half of the season, including posting a league-best 250 face-off wins, Hughes roared back offensively and has been on an offensive rampage ever since. The junior center has scored 10 goals and added 11 assists for 21 points in 16 games, and along with Klein, ranks fifth in the NCAA and third in the WCHA with a 1.31 points per game average. But the Lino Lakes, Minn. product has produced mind-bending statistics over her last seven games, running up not only a seven-game scoring streak of nine goals and four assists for 13 points, but a six-game goal scoring streak. Hughes has ripped off two goals a game over her last three outings (including both games against Wisconsin), and has twice rung up three points over those last three skates. Hughes, also selected to the All-WCHA Second Team last season as a sophomore, was just last week named the WCHA's Forward of the Week for her five-point, four goal offensive outburst in UMD's series against the then No. 1 Badgers. Hughes became UMD's 21st member of the 100 career point club on Jan. 30, and has already climbed into the No. 17 spot with 109 career points.
Klein forced her way into All-WCHA Second Team honors after leading the Bulldogs almost the entire season in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in just 16 games. The 
Edina, Minn. native ranked fifth in the NCAA (along with Hughes) with a 1.31 points per game average that also ranked her tied for third in the WCHA. Klein led the nation with two shorthanded goals and is tied for third in the WCHA with three game-winning goals, and additionally put up multiple point games eight times -- half of her skates -- so far this season. The assistant captain was named the WCHA Forward of the Month for December, and was also the WCHA's Forward of the Week for Dec. 4-11.
In addition to announcing the All-WCHA Teams, the league also named its WCHA All-Academic Team, of which 17 UMD players qualified. The 17 UMD Bulldog members of the 2020-21 WCHA All-Academic Team are, in alphabetical order --
Monique Aanenson (Sr., F, Moorhead, Minn.); Taylor Anderson (Jr., F, Eagan, Minn.); Ashton Bell (Sr. (F, Deloraine, Manitoba.); Kassy Betinol (So., F Okotoks, Alberta); Kylie Hanley (Jr., F, Minnetonka, Minn.); McKenzie Hewett (Jr., F, Edmonton, Alberta.); Gabbie Hughes (Jr., F, Lino Lakes, Minn.); Anna Klein (Sr., F, Edina, Minn.); Anneke Linser (Jr., F, Lino Lakes, Minn.); Hanna Markel (Sr., G, Dillon, Colo.); Mannon McMahon (So., F Maple Grove, Minn.); Lizi Norton (Jr., D, Orono, Minn.); McKenzie Revering (Sr., D, Alexandria, Minn.); Naomi Rogge (Jr., F, Eden Prairie, Minn.); Kailee Skinner (Jr., D, Penticton, B.C.); Emma Soderberg (Jr., G, Jarved, Sweden); Taylor Stewart (So. D, Rochester, Minn.).
To qualify for the WCHA All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed one year of eligibility at their present institution, prior to the current academic year and have a GPA of at least 3.0 for the previous two semesters or three quarters.
