University of Minnesota Duluth freshman goaltender Ève Gascon was one of 23 first-year players announced on the Rookie of the Year "Watch List" Thursday by the Hockey Commissioners Assocication.
 

A native of Mascouche, Quebec, Gascon owns a .946 saves percentage -- the sixth highest in the NCAA and had a career-high 48 saves against Wisconsin back on Dec. 2. Gascon has manned the pipes in 14 games so far this season, and owns a 1.71 goals against average in 842:07 minutes played.

Gascon is also now tied for the second most shutouts recorded by a Bulldog freshman goaltender. With four shutouts, Gascon is in rare company, and trails only Jennifer Harss, who had five shutouts as a rookie in 2009-10.  Gascon has tied both Kim Martin (three shutouts in 2006-07) and Tuula Puputti (three in 1999-00), as well as Kayla Black (four in 2011-12). Martin piled up her three shutouts immediately -- the eventual All-American racked up three clean sheets in her first four starts at UMD.

One rookie will be voted National Rookie of the Year by the nation's assistant coaches. At season's end, a ballot consisting of each Division I conference's Rookie of the Year will be presented to the assistant coaches and they will vote, one vote per school, to identify the winner. This year's National Rookie of the Year will be announced during the Frozen Four in Durham, NH, in March.

Gascon arrived at UMD arguably as one of the biggest names in women's hockey after she joined the QMJHL with Gatineau Olympiques in the spring of 2022 -- becoming one of just three women goaltenders ever to play in the league. She became just the second woman goaltender ever to earn a win on April 2, 2022, making 23-saves for the Gatineau Olympiques in a 7-3 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Gascon and Co. will host Minnesota State University, Mankato at AMSOIL Arena this weekend in a Friday-Saturday seres. Friday's game gets underway at 6:00 p.m.


HCA Women's Rookie of the Year "Watch List"

College Hockey America
Alaina Giampietro, F, Robert Morris (26 GP, 11-9-20)
(Strongsville, OH)
Sofia Nuutinen, F, Mercyhurst (26 GP, 9-15-24)
(Vantaa, Finland)
Stella Retrum, F, Penn State (28 GP, 11-10-21)
(Maple Grove, MN)

ECAC Hockey
Annelies Bergmann, G, Cornell (13-4-1, 2.03, .913)
(Detroit, MI)
Uma Corniea, G, Princeton (6-5-1, 2.41, .908)
(Edina, MN)
Kahlen Lamarche, F, Quinnipiac (29 GP, 8-19-27)
(Sudbury, ON)
Maddie Leaney, F, Union (26 GP, 9-7-16)
(Maple Ridge, BC)
Kaia Malachino, F, Colgate (28 GP, 7-11-18)
(Brighton, M)
Emma Pais, F, Colgate (28 GP, 13-13-26)
(London, ON)
Madeline Palumbo, F, Colgate (28 GP, 6-13-19)
(Courtice, ON)
Karel Prefontaine, F, Cornell (23 GP, 8-10-18)
(Gatineau, PQ)
Stephanie Stainton, F, Yale (21 GP, 7-8-15)
(Oakville, ON)

Hockey East
Sedona Blair, G, UNH (12-12-2, 2.35, .917)
(Eden Prairie, MN)
Allie Lalonde, F, Northeastern (28 GP, 7-8-15)
(Irvine, CA)
Sammy Taber, F, Boston College (27 GP, 10-17-27)
(Tewksbury, MA)

NEWHA
Jenna Chaplain, F, Assumption (28 GP, 6-13-19)
(Peabody, MA)
Isabel Chaput, F, Sacred Heart (29 GP, 10-5-15)
(Wixom, MI)
Juliana Herman, D, Saint Anselm (25 GP, 2-5-7)
(The Pas, MB)

WCHA
Ella Boerger, F, St. Thomas (27 GP, 9-10-19)
(Andover, MN)
Joy Dunne, F. Ohio State (24 GP, 13-9-22)
(O'Fallon, MO)
Eve Gascon, G, Minnesota Duluth (6-7-1, 1.71, .945)
(Mascouche, PQ)
Cassie Hall, F, Wisconsin (26 GP, 17-5-22)
(South Lyon, MI)
Emma Kreisz, F, Minnesota (26 GP, 4-16-20)
(Budapest, Hungary)
Ava Lindsay, F, Minnesota (26 GP, 8-9-17)
(Minnetonka, MN)
Ava McNaughton, G, Wisconsin (11-2-0, 1.58, .928)
(Seven Fields, PA)