Buckeyes Place Five on All-WCHA Teams
2/23/2023 12:00:48 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced Thursday its all-conference team for the 2022-23 season. Jenn Gardiner and Sophie Jaques were named First Team honorees while Emma Maltais is a Second Team member and Paetyn Levis and Madison Bizal are on the Third Team.
Jenn Gardiner leads the Buckeyes with a career-high 53 points this season. She ranks third in the conference in assists per game (.97) and points per game (1.56) and is seventh in goals per game (.59). The Surrey, B.C. native’s season point total is the third-most in the country this year. The forward has recorded 18 multi-point games on the season for the Buckeyes. The award is her first of her career.
Sophie Jaques remains one of the top defensemen in the country, leading blueliners in points (42). In the defensive zone, the Toronto, Ont. has helped the Buckeyes hold opponents to just 1.82 goals per game. On offense, she has recorded a league-best eight power play goals on the year and is top-10 in goals (19), assists (23) and points. She leads the league with 190 shots this season. Jaques has been named to four All-WCHA teams and to the First Team for the second season in a row.
Emma Maltais earns her fifth All-WCHA team nod of her career this year. As Ohio State’s record holder for career assists and points, she has tallied 42 points this season. She is tied for the team lead in assists (33) and ranks third in the country in the category. She has scored nine goals on the year, including three goals last weekend against Wisconsin to help the Buckeyes win their first regular season conference title. She is also successful on the faceoff for the Buckeyes, with a .626 win percentage.
Paetyn Levis leads the Buckeyes with 21 goals on the year, good for eighth nationally. The graduate forward has tallied 37 points for Ohio State this season and has helped the team earn a nation-leading .348 power play this season. She is one of two Buckeyes to record a hat trick this year and has earned a plus-27 so far this season. The award is her first of her career.
Teaming up with Jaques for the Buckeyes’ top pair of defensemen this season, Bizal has played a key part in Ohio State keeping opponents to under 21 shots per game. She has blocked a team-high 50 shots on the year and has earned a plus-25 on the ice for the Buckeyes so far this season. The Elk River, Minn. native has a career-high tying four goals on the year, two of which came in the team’s 3-1 win over Wisconsin last weekend to push the Buckeyes ahead for the regular season title. The third team honor is her second of her career.
For just the second time in program history, the Buckeyes have placed five student-athletes on the All-WCHA list. Five honorees is a program-high.
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