Women's Ice Hockey

All-WIAC Women’s Ice Hockey Honors Announced

Printable PDF of the 2024 All-WIAC Women's Ice Hockey Team

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls’ Maddie McCollins was selected the Kwik Trip Player of the Year to lead the individuals chosen to the 2024 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Ice Hockey Team by the league coaches. In addition, UW-Eau Claire’s Alexa Backmann received Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year honors and UW-River Falls’ Joe Cranston was tabbed the Kwik Trip Coach of the Year.
 
McCollins received the honor for the second straight year and becomes the second individual in conference history to earn the award in back-to-back seasons. Former Falcon Callie Hoff was the recipient in 2021 and 2022. McCollins leads the WIAC with 62 points, 32 goals and eight power-play goals, while tying for first with 30 assists and ranking second with five game-winning goals. She has a pair of hat tricks to her credit – Nov. 18, 2023 at UW-Eau Claire and Jan. 12 vs. UW-Stevens Point.
 
Backmann started 16 games for the Blugolds and compiled a 12-4 record, 1.62 goals-against-average, 282 saves and .901 save percentage. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used her first season of participation in women’s ice hockey this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in women’s ice hockey at their previous institution.
 
Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included: UW-Eau Claire’s Sophie Rausch (Co-Player of the Year); UW-River Falls’ MaKenna Aure (Newcomer of the Year), Megan Goodreau and Alex Hantge; UW-Stevens Point’s Courtney Leising; and UW-Superior’s Jenna Hoops. Hantge and O’Connor added first team honors in 2021 with Hantge also receiving Newcomer of the Year distinction. In 2022, Leising collected Newcomer of the Year recognition.
 
Cranston received the coaching honor for the fourth time in his career (2017, 2019, 2021) after leading the Falcons to a 28-0 record, the WIAC regular-season title and the O’Brien Cup. The 28 wins are a program record. UW-River Falls also received an NCAA tournament bid.
 
An All-Sportsmanship Team was named for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school.
 
2024 All-WIAC Women’s Ice Hockey Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (Previous Team)
MaKenna Aure, River Falls, Sophomore, Defense, Alexandria, Minn. (Alexandria HS)
Rose Beeman, Superior, Senior, Goalie, Minneapolis, Minn. (Benilde-St. Margaret’s HS)
Cora Coz, Superior, Junior, Defense, Elk River, Minn. (Elk River HS)
Megan Goodreau, River Falls, Sophomore, Forward, Lino Lakes, Minn. (Centennial HS)
Alex Hantge, River Falls, Senior, Forward, Hutchinson, Minn. (Hutchinson HS)
Jenna Hoops, Superior, Junior, Forward, Woodbury, Minn. (Saint Michael’s College)
Sydney Johnson, Eau Claire, Senior, Defense, Apple Valley, Minn. (Apple Valley HS)
Courtney Leising, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Maple Grove, Minn. (Maple Grove HS)
Maddie McCollins, River Falls, Senior, Forward, Maple Grove, Minn. (Wayzata HS)
Jordan O’Connor, River Falls, Senior, Goalie, Prairie du Sac, Wis. (Sauk Prairie HS)
Sophie Rausch, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Fergus Falls, Minn. (Hamline Univ.)
Hattie Verstegen, Eau Claire, Senior, Defense, Oshkosh, Wis. (Fond du Lac HS)
 
Honorable Mention
Alexa Backmann, Eau Claire, Freshman, Goalie, Saint Michael, Minn. (Rogers HS)
Lucy Drougas, Superior, Junior, Defense, Superior, Wis. (Saint Michael’s-NEWHA)
Holly Eckers, River Falls, Senior, Defense, Shakopee, Minn. (Shakopee HS)
Audrey Ellerington, Northland, Freshman, Forward, London, Ontario (Bluewater Hawks-OWHL)
Eden Gruber, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Wausau, Wis. (Wausau West HS)
Jada LeBlanc, Superior, Senior, Defense, Thunder Bay, Ontario (Thunder Bay Queens)
Karlee Lehner, Northland, Freshman, Goalie, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (Swift Current-SFMAAAHL)
Sadie Long, Eau Claire, Junior, Forward, Farmington, Minn. (Farmington HS)
Aubrey Nelvin, River Falls, Senior, Forward, Burnsville, Minn. (Burnsville HS)
Bailey Olson, River Falls, Junior, Forward, Willmar, Minn. (Willmar HS)
Ashton Parnell, Superior, Sophomore, Forward, Cambridge, Minn. (Northern Tier)
Kaitlin Ronn, River Falls, Sophomore, Defense, Blaine, Minn. (Blaine HS)
 
All-Sportsmanship Team
Elle Black, Northland, Senior, Forward, Devils Lake, N.D. (Devils Lake HS)
Eden Gruber, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Wausau, Wis. (Wausau West HS)
Veda Roeske, Superior, Sophomore, Defense, Stillwater, Minn. (Stillwater HS)
Braelyn Sathers, River Falls, Senior, Defense, Proctor, Minn. (Proctor-Hermantown HS)
Kayla Stumo, Stevens Point, Senior, Defense, Ham Lake, Minn. (Blaine HS)
 
Kwik Trip Player of the Year:  Maddie McCollins of River Falls
Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year:  Alexa Backmann of Eau Claire
Kwik Trip Coach of the Year:  Joe Cranston of River Falls
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete:  Sophie Rausch of Eau Claire
 
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