Ohio State Earns Top Honors in WHCA Preseason Voting
9/11/2023 11:48:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced its preseason honors Monday, with Ohio State tying for first in the preseason coaches' poll, freshman Joy Dunne earning the Preseason Rookie of the Year nod and three Buckeyes named to the Preseason All-WCHA team.
Dunne, an O'Fallon, Mo. native, starts her Buckeye career with plenty of accolades to her name already. This summer, she earned her second career invite to the USA Hockey Festival and was a member of the American team that swept the three-game Collegiate Series against Canada, tallying three points in three games. Earlier this year, she captained the United States' U-18 squad to a bronze medal finish at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championships.
For the second year in a row, Ohio State has placed three players on the league's preseason team. Graduate forward Jenn Gardiner, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes and senior goaltender Amanda Thiele represent the Buckeyes on the list.
Gardiner returns as the Buckeyes' leading point scorer from the 2022-23 campaign. She was also one of two Ohio State players named a top-10 finalist for the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Thiele earns the preseason All-WCHA nod for the second year in a row and enters her senior season as the Buckeyes' program record holder for season wins, which she earned last year with a 20-4-1 record for a .820 win percentage to lead the league and rank fourth nationally. Barnes, a two-time Olympian for the United States, is set for her first season as a Buckeye this year and joins the roster as one of the top defensemen in the NCAA.
Graduate student Hannah Bilka received a vote for WCHA Player of the Year and joined Jenna Buglioni and Makenna Webster in receiving votes for Preseason All-WCHA.
Ohio State, the defending WCHA regular season champion, met Wisconsin in last season's national championship game. The teams were joined by Minnesota, who was picked third in the WCHA preseason poll, in the 2023 Frozen Four.
Ohio State starts its 2023-24 season at Colgate Sept. 29-30. The Buckeyes will play three series on the road before opening their home slate Oct. 27-28 against Minnesota at the OSU Ice Rink.
Starting this year, Ohio State women's hockey home games will be ticketed. Single game tickets for the Buckeyes' eight home series are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased HERE or by calling the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-GOBUCKS.
WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Coaches could not vote for their own team. First place votes are in parentheses.
1. Wisconsin (4) 46 points
Ohio State (4) 46
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 33
5. St. Cloud State 27
6. Minnesota State 17
St. Thomas 17
8. Bemidji State 7
Preseason All-WCHA
F: Jenn Gardiner, Gr., Ohio State (tie) with Kirsten Simms, So., Wisconsin
F: Abby Murphy, Jr., Minnesota
F: Casey O'Brien, Sr., Wisconsin
D: Cayla Barnes, Gr., Ohio State
D: Caroline Harvey, So., Wisconsin
G – Amanda Thiele, Sr., Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced its preseason honors Monday, with Ohio State tying for first in the preseason coaches' poll, freshman Joy Dunne earning the Preseason Rookie of the Year nod and three Buckeyes named to the Preseason All-WCHA team.
Dunne, an O'Fallon, Mo. native, starts her Buckeye career with plenty of accolades to her name already. This summer, she earned her second career invite to the USA Hockey Festival and was a member of the American team that swept the three-game Collegiate Series against Canada, tallying three points in three games. Earlier this year, she captained the United States' U-18 squad to a bronze medal finish at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championships.
For the second year in a row, Ohio State has placed three players on the league's preseason team. Graduate forward Jenn Gardiner, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes and senior goaltender Amanda Thiele represent the Buckeyes on the list.
Gardiner returns as the Buckeyes' leading point scorer from the 2022-23 campaign. She was also one of two Ohio State players named a top-10 finalist for the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Thiele earns the preseason All-WCHA nod for the second year in a row and enters her senior season as the Buckeyes' program record holder for season wins, which she earned last year with a 20-4-1 record for a .820 win percentage to lead the league and rank fourth nationally. Barnes, a two-time Olympian for the United States, is set for her first season as a Buckeye this year and joins the roster as one of the top defensemen in the NCAA.
Graduate student Hannah Bilka received a vote for WCHA Player of the Year and joined Jenna Buglioni and Makenna Webster in receiving votes for Preseason All-WCHA.
Ohio State, the defending WCHA regular season champion, met Wisconsin in last season's national championship game. The teams were joined by Minnesota, who was picked third in the WCHA preseason poll, in the 2023 Frozen Four.
Ohio State starts its 2023-24 season at Colgate Sept. 29-30. The Buckeyes will play three series on the road before opening their home slate Oct. 27-28 against Minnesota at the OSU Ice Rink.
Starting this year, Ohio State women's hockey home games will be ticketed. Single game tickets for the Buckeyes' eight home series are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased HERE or by calling the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-GOBUCKS.
WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Coaches could not vote for their own team. First place votes are in parentheses.
1. Wisconsin (4) 46 points
Ohio State (4) 46
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 33
5. St. Cloud State 27
6. Minnesota State 17
St. Thomas 17
8. Bemidji State 7
Preseason All-WCHA
F: Jenn Gardiner, Gr., Ohio State (tie) with Kirsten Simms, So., Wisconsin
F: Abby Murphy, Jr., Minnesota
F: Casey O'Brien, Sr., Wisconsin
D: Cayla Barnes, Gr., Ohio State
D: Caroline Harvey, So., Wisconsin
G – Amanda Thiele, Sr., Ohio State
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