The WCHA has announced four individual award winners for the 2021-22 season.
Minnesota’s Taylor Heise has been named WCHA Offensive Player of the Year while fellow Gopher Peyton Hemp takes home the WCHA Rookie of the Year title. Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques earns WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and St. Cloud State’s Emma Polusny has been named WCHA Goaltender of the Year.
“This is an impressive group of honorees,” WCHA commissioner Jennifer Flowers said in a news release. “I want to congratulate the recipients being recognized for their outstanding accomplishments that continue to elevate the success of their programs and the WCHA. We are proud to be the home to so many incredible student-athletes and coaches and are excited to celebrate this special group’s excellence.”
The individual awards continue tomorrow, March 2, with the announcement of WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year and WCHA Coach of the Year. The overall WCHA Player of the Year will be announced on Thursday, March 3.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Year
Taylor Heise – Minnesota, Sr.
A two-time WCHA Forward of the Month, Heise follows up her First Team All-WCHA nod by being voted as the league’s offensive player of the year. Through the regular season, Heise stood as the nation’s leading scorer with 60 points by 26 goals and 34 assists, becoming the first Gopher since 2016-17 to register 60-plus points in a season. Tallying a nation-leading four short-handed goals on the year, Heise also earned national recognition when she was named Hockey Commissioners Association’s National Player of the Month for November.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
Sophie Jaques – Ohio State, Sr.
After earning eight WCHA Defender of the Week titles throughout the regular season, Jaques has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Jaques collected three WCHA Defender of the Month titles on her way to garnering First Team All-WCHA accolades, all while setting the single-season program record for points by a defender. From the blueline, Jaques registered 53 points in the regular season by 18 goals and 35 assists, including a nation-topping 10 power play goals. While skating to a plus-43 rating on the ice, Jaques added 32 blocked shots and four game-winning goals.
WCHA Goaltender of the Year
Emma Polusny – St. Cloud State, Grad.
After becoming the first First Team All-WCHA honoree in St. Cloud State program history, Polusny garners goaltender of the year accolades. Polusny registered a .925 save percentage through her 926:57 of action in the regular season, while making 546 for a 2.85 GAA. Polusny earned a career-high of 55 saves against No. 1 Minnesota (Feb. 11) after surpassing her 54 saves against then-No. 2/3 Wisconsin (Jan. 28). The performance helped St. Cloud State claim its first point from Wisconsin since 2015. Overall, Polusny set the program record with her 3,343 career saves (as of Feb. 24), and currently leads all active players in the NCAA in the career save category.
WCHA Rookie of the Year
Peyton Hemp – Minnesota
After earning a spot on the WCHA All-Rookie Team, Peyton Hemp has been voted as the league’s 2021-22 Rookie of the Year. Hemp led all WCHA freshmen with 31 points through the regular season as well as with 12 goals. Only taking one penalty all season, Hemp scored five game-winning goals and scored in every situation by adding both a power play and shorthanded goal on the year. Hemp’s Rookie of the Year honor comes after being a two-time WCHA Rookie of the Month honoree in the regular season.
