The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team owned one of the most explosive offenses in all of college hockey this season, and Thursday, two of the biggest reasons why were recognized for their heavy contributions to the Bulldogs firebrand.
Gabbie Hughes was named a 2021-22 CCM/AHCA First Team All-American, while Élizabeth Giguère was named a 2021-22 CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American -- the fourth time the fifth-year senior has been recognized over her collegiate career. The two were among the 13 players named 2021-22 CCM/AHCA Women's University Division Ice Hockey All-Americans.
Hughes, just hours earlier named a Patty Kazmaier Top-3 Finalist, becomes the seventh player in program history to be named a top-3 finalist and First Team All-American. The last player prior to Hughes to earn both accolades was Lara Stalder over the 2016-17 season.
Less than a week removed from scoring four goals, including two game-winners in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Hughes was previously named an 2021-22 All-WCHA First Team selection last month. The Lino Lakes, Minn. product currently has a 1.55 ppg game clip – the fourth-highest in the nation – after leading the NCAA for most of the season with the most points per game. Tied for third in the NCAA with 59 points and the fifth most assists, those 37 helpers are tie her for the 9th most in a UMD single-season ever. Named the HCA National Player of the Month and WCHA Forward of the Month for December, Hughes was also twice named the league's Forward of the Week on Jan. 31 and Jan. 3. With 59 points (22g, 37a), Hughes has also posted multiple point games 18 times this season, including nine games with three or more points, and ranks fourth among all centers in the NCAA with 490 wins.
Hughes is also one of five finalists for the 2022 Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award, which is celebrating its 27th season, is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
Giguère -- a First Team selection in both 2019 and 2020 and a Second Team All-American in 2018 -- currently leads the Bulldogs with 60 points – the second most in the NCAA – on 21 goals and 39 assists through 38 games. The Quebec City, Quebec native is averaging 1.57 points per game and average -- the third-highest in the nation. With three game-winning goals, she also has a plus/minus rating of +33.
Named to the 2021-22 All-WCHA Second Team, Giguère's 39 assists puts her in a tie for sixth for the most helpers in a single season at UMD. The fifth-year forward has 17 times put up two or more points in a game this season, including 10 games where Giguère put up three or more points. Giguère now has 292 career points -- which makes her the third-highest point-getter in all of NCAA Division I women's college hockey history. Giguère is second all-time in assists with 172. With 26 game-winning goals, she sits sixth, and one more game-winner would move her up to third.
Together, Hughes and Giguère become the sixth pair of UMD players on the same squad to land All-American nods. Hughes is also the 13th First Team All-American in program history, while Giguère follows in Ashton Bell and Emma Soderberg's skates from a year ago, a duo that was named to the Second Team. In all, there have been six Second Team All-Americans in program history.
Hughes and Giguère will lead the Bulldogs Friday into the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals in a rematch of last season's showdown against Northeastern University. The puck is set to drop at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa. at 2:30 p.m. CT.
