Jeni Creary Named WCHA Rookie of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
March 7, 2002%^$
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%^$BLAINE, Minn.-Ohio State left wing Jeni Creary (Shell Lake, Saskatchewan) is the 2001-02 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year, the league announced Thursday at the annual WCHA Women’s awards banquet in conjunction with the 2002 WCHA Women’s Final Five in Blaine, Minn. Creary also was selected to the 2001-02 All-WCHA First Team and sophomore offensive defenseman Emma Laaksonen (Espoo, Finland) was an All-WCHA Second Team honoree.%^$
%^$Creary and Laaksonen are the first Buckeyes honored with a year-end award by the league.%^$
%^$The league leader in scoring for nearly the entire season, Creary finished the regular season with 44 points from 26 goals and 18 assists. The only freshman candidate for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, she is second in the WCHA in points and first in goals, power-play goals (12) and freshman scoring. Creary leads the team in nearly every offensive category, including points, goals and shots (161) and is first with a +12 rating. She was the WCHA Player of the Week Oct. 23 and a two-time WCHA Rookie of the Week (Feb. 18, Nov. 20) and she holds three Ohio State single-season records: points (44), points by a forward (44) and goals (26).%^$
%^$”Jeni has a great work ethic,” Jackie Barto, OSU head coach, said. “She has a desire to continue to improve as a hockey player. I can’t stress enough how much of an impact she has made from day one on our program. She has the potential to grow and develop as she improves on her well-roundedness as a player.”%^$
%^$Laaksonen ended the regular season eighth in scoring among WCHA defensemen despite seeing action in only 22 games. She is second among defensemen and sixth on the team in scoring with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and was a two-time WCHA Player of the Week (Nov. 20 and Dec. 11). Ohio State’s other candidate for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, she missed three series in February to compete in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games for Team Finland and was named co-captain. She also was one of three Buckeyes chosen to represent Ohio State as a member of the 2001 WCHA All-Star Team in its two-game series with the U.S. Women’s National Team Oct. 5-6. Laaksonen is Ohio State’s career leader in power-play goals (20).%^$
%^$”From a defensive standpoint, Emma brings so much to the team,” Barto said. “She contributes not only on the defensive side of the puck but offensively as well. You can truly appreciate what Emma does when you watch her day in and day out.”%^$
%^$League head coaches and sports information directors voted for the league awards. Head coaches only voted for the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and institutional representatives chose the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year.%^$
%^$The WCHA All-Academic Team also was announced during the banquet. Ohio State claimed six selections: Carrie Gill (Jr., Rochester, Minn.), Melissa Glaser (So., Rockford, Ill.), Laaksonen, Lindsey Ogren (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.), Lindsey Steblen (Jr., Clayton, N.Y.), and April Stojak (Jr., Kent, Ohio). Gill, Ogren, Steblen and Stojak were selected for the second-consectutive year.%^$
%^$No. 4-seed Ohio State defeated No. 5 Bemidji State, 5-3, Thursday in the play-in game of the 2002 WCHA Women’s Final Five at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn. The Buckeyes will battle No. 1 Minnesota in the semifinal at 8:05 p.m. (EST) Friday for a spot in the championship game at 8:05 p.m. (EST) Saturday.%^$
%^$2001-02 WCHA Awards%^$
%^$Player of the Year%^$Ronda Curtin, Minnesota%^$
%^$Student-Athlete of the Year%^$Guylaine Hache, Bemidji State%^$
%^$Defensive Player of the Year%^$Ronda Curtin, Minnesota%^$
%^$Rookie of the Year%^$Jeni Creary, Ohio State%^$
%^$Coach of the Year%^$Laura Halldorson, Minnesota%^$
%^$2001-02 All-WCHA First Team%^$Position Name School Yr. Hometown%^$Forward Jeni Creary Ohio State Fr. Shell Lake, Saskatchewan%^$Forward Meghan Hunter Wisconsin So. Oil Springs, Ontario%^$Forward Maria Rooth Minnesota-Duluth Jr. Angelholm, Sweden%^$Defense Ronda Curtin Minnesota Jr. Roseville, Minn.%^$Defense Kerry Weiland Wisconsin Jr. Palmer, Alaska%^$Goaltender Jody Horak Minnesota Fr. Blaine, Minn.%^$
%^$2001-02 All-WCHA Second Team%^$Position Name School Yr. Hometown%^$Forward Amber Fryklund Bemidji State Jr. Hibbing, Minn.%^$Forward Erika Holst Minnesota-Duluth Jr. Varberg, Sweden%^$Forward Kelly Stephens Minnesota Fr. Shoreline, Wash.%^$Defense Emma Laaksonen Ohio State So. Espoo, Finland%^$Defense Kobi Kawamoto St. Cloud State So. Surrey, British Columbia%^$Goaltender Jackie MacMillan Wisconsin Jr. Buffalo, Minn.%^$
%^$2001-02 WCHA All-Academic Team%^$Bemidji State (8)%^$Kaisa Brehmer, Jr., Apple Valley, Minn. Anik Cote, Jr., Grand Falls, New Brunswick Bre%^$Dedrickson, Jr., Eagan, Minn. Guylaine Hache, So., Petit Rocher, New Brunswick Betsy%^$Hegland, Jr., Farmington, Minn. Alicia Kinsman, Jr., Flesherton, Ontario Lisa Peters, Jr.,%^$Randolph, Manitoba Lil Raynard, Jr., Clifford, Ontario%^$
%^$Minnesota (7)%^$Gwen Anderson, Jr., North St. Paul, Minn. Kelsey Bills, So., Carstairs, Alberta Melissa%^$Coulombe, So., St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba Ronda Curtin, Jr., Roseville, Minn. Tracy%^$Engstrom, Sr., WIllmar, Minn. Cecilia Retelle, So., Madison, Wis. Laura Slominski, Sr.,%^$Burnsville, Minn.%^$
%^$Minnesota-Duluth (5)%^$Laurie Alexander, Jr., Pense, Saskatchewan Jessica Flink, Jr., Hutchinson, Minn. Michelle%^$McAteer, Jr., Scarborough, Ontario Tuula Puputti, Sr., Kuopio, Finland Maria Rooth, Jr.,%^$Angelholm, Sweden%^$
%^$Minnesota State (12)%^$Katie Beauduy, Jr., Blaine, Minn. Erin Hafermann, Sr., St. Louis Park, Minn. Sandra Hood,%^$So., Aurora, Ill. Amanda Krause, Sr., Breckenridge, Minn. Ashleigh Miller, Sr., Phoenix,%^$Az. Amanda Osborn, So., Brier, Wash. Jody Rankin, Sr., Eagan, Minn. Cara Samuelson, Sr.,%^$Menomonie, Wis. Tina Serafin, Sr., Shakopee, Minn. Tristin Stephenson, Jr., Ashland, Wis.%^$ Sheri Maisonneuve, So., Aurora, Ontario Shari Vogt, So., Richmond, Minn.%^$
%^$Ohio State (6)%^$Carrie Gill, Jr., Rochester, Minn. Melissa Glaser, So., Rockford, Ill. Emma Laaksonen,%^$ So., Espoo, Finland Lindsey Ogren, Jr., North Oaks, Minn. Lindsey%^$Steblen, Jr., Clayton, N.Y. April Stojak, Jr., Kent, Ohio%^$
%^$St. Cloud State (4)%^$Ellen Brinkman, So., North St. Paul, Minn. Laura Gieselman, Jr., Annandale, Minn. Amanda%^$Mathison, Jr., Newport, Minn. Leanne Perrin, So., Maple Ridge, British Columbia%^$
%^$Wisconsin (10)%^$Kendra Antony, Jr., Yrkton, Saskatchewan Stephanie Boeckmann, So., St. Cloud, Minn. %^$Kathryn Greaves, So., Mentor, Ohio Kelly Kegley, Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Jackie%^$MacMillan, Jr., Buffalo, Minn. Stephanie Millar, So., Hudson, Wis. Julia Ortenzio, Jr.,%^$Eden Prairie, Minn. Sis Paulsen, Jr., Eau Claire, Wis. Melanie Schmitt, Jr., Sheboygan,%^$Wis. Kerry Weiland, Jr., Palmer, Alaska
