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On Thursday, the WCHA announced their all-conference teams for the 2021-22 season and seven Wisconsin Badgers skaters were honored. Leading the way are national leading goal scorer Daryl Watts and two-way defender Nicole LaMantia on the first team.
The @NCAAIceHockey co-leader in goals with 26, @DarylWatts19 earns first-team All-WCHA honors for the third-straight year!#Badgers || #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/nOrGkvBfZt
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) February 24, 2022
Watts is tied for the national lead with 26 goals this season and also has 28 assists, putting her second in the country with 54 points. She currently sits in second in NCAA history with 294 points and was named to All-WCHA first team for the third time in her career. The preseason conference player of the year was also named WCHA Forward of the Week three times this season.
LaMantia has 19 assists and 26 points on the season from the blue line. She has been named WCHA Defender of the Week four times, was the December WCHA Defender of the Month and is second in blocked shots in WCHA play with 65. She is plus-38 on the year and is the kind of two-way defender that every team covets.
Captain Grace Bowlby was named to the second team, Kennedy Blair, Casey O’Brien and Makenna Webster all collected All-WCHA third team honors and Sarah Wozniewicz was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team after being named WCHA Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year.
After being named a semifinalist for the National Goalie of the Year award earlier this week, #Badgers @kennedyyblair has been named to the @WCHA_WHockey Third-Team!#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/xgONb8ywPC
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) February 24, 2022
Blair leads the WCHA in wins with 20 and shutouts with six, while her 1.50 goals-against average ranks in the top-10 nationally. She was just named a semifinalist for the HCA Goalie of the Year award too. Webster ranks in the top-10 in the country in points with 49 thanks to 22 goals and 27 assists. O’Brien’s 24 goals rank third in the country and she earned WCHA Forward of the Week once this season as well.
The Badgers open up postseason play on Friday night at LaBahn Arena against Bemidji State in the opening round of the WCHA Playoffs. Puck drops at 7 p.m. CT.