MADISON, Wis. – Four members of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team have been named as contenders for WCHA honors as the league announced the top-three finalists for WCHA end of the year honors.
Senior Casey O’Brien and sophomore Kirsten Simms were chosen as finalists for the WCHA Forward of the Year award, claiming two of the three spots. Sophomore Caroline Harvey, was named a top-three contender for the WCHA Defender of the Year Award, and freshman Ava Murphy was named a finalist for the WCHA Rookie of the Year honors.
A native of Milton, Massachusetts, O’Brien ranks second in the country in points with 62 points, 36 of which have come in UW’s last 18 games. The forward has posted an NCAA-leading 43 assists throughout her senior campaign, helping her earn All-WCHA First-Team honors, all while holding an impressive +49 plus/minus rating. O’Brien has been stellar in the faceoff dot this season as her .597 clip ranks third in the league.
Simms, another member of the All-WCHA First Team, has posted an impressive NCAA-leading 67 points in her sophomore season, which is more than double the 32 points she tallied in her rookie year. A native of Plymouth, Michigan, Simms’ 29 goals and 38 assists both rank second in the country, with her assists only trailing linemate O’Brien. She has enjoyed 21 multi-point games this season and her 1.97 points per game average not only paces the country, but also ranks in the top-10 in program history as well.
The 2023 WCHA Rookie of the Year and 2023 WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, Harvey led all WCHA defenders in points this season with 33 thanks to five goals and 28 assists despite missing nine games due to injury. The Salem, New Hampshire, native has a +50 plus/minus rating that ranks second in the WCHA, and she broke the school for the best plus/minus rating in a single game with a +9 plus/minus mark against Lindenwood.
Murphy, a member of the WCHA All-Rookie team, finished the regular season with 11 points on two goals, nine assists and a +28 plus/minus rating, which ranks fourth among WCHA rookies. The defender from Kitchener, Ontario, also has 20 blocked shots, including a pair in UW’s win against No. 1 Ohio State in the last weekend of the regular season. She started her collegiate career with a stellar showing on the road, recording three assists in a win…
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