Jan. 15, 2008
Women’s Ice Hockey

MADISON, Wisc. - For the second time in three weeks, a Bemidji State women’s hockey freshman has been recognized by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association as the league’s best newcomer.

Annie Bauerfeld (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) recorded a career-high two assists in BSU’s 4-1 victory Friday over North Dakota at John Glas Fieldhouse. For her efforts, the league announced Tuesday that she has been named the WCHA Rookie of the Week for the first time in her career.

Bauerfeld assisted on the first goal of the game, which was scored by Franny Dorr (So., Roseville, Minn.) at the 13:46 mark of the first period. Then, after a career-high two goals by Lisa Kissick (Jr., Carman, Manitoba), Bauerfeld assisted on an empty-net goal by Erin Cody (Fr., Roseville, Minn.) with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

Bauerfeld had the first multi-assist and multi-point game of her young career against the Fighting Sioux.

The four goals scored against North Dakota were the most in a conference game this season. The Beavers also earned their first victory over a conference opponent and now have four points in the WCHA.

In addition to her two points, Bauerfeld was +2 in the plus-minus category in the series and fired seven shots on goal. She is now tied with Cody for the team lead in points with six (2-4=6).

Bemidji State is the only school in the conference that has three different players who have earned Rookie of the Week honors this season. Julie Rising (Fr., Millbrae, Calif.) and Cody are the other two Beavers who have earned the weekly award.

Rising won the award on Oct. 9, 2007, after scoring two goals - one short-handed - in her first two collegiate games against Minnesota State, Mankato. Cody was recognized on Jan. 3, 2008, for her efforts against Vermont in which she had two points, including a game-winning short-handed goal.

Bemidji State is also tied with Wisconsin and Minnesota Duluth as the only three schools to have a player named as Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions. Those other two schools, however, had one person who won the award twice, whereas the Beavers have had three different players win the award.

Emily Brookshaw (Sr., Webster, Wisc.) is the other Beaver to have won a weekly award this season. She has earned the defensive player of the week award twice this year (Oct. 16 and Nov. 27) for besting her personal single-game high for saves on two separate occasions, and also for shutting out the two-time defending national champion Wisconsin Badgers. Bemidji State players were named conference players’ of the week on seven different occasions last year, and only twice was a Beaver player named Rookie of the Week.

Bemidji State (4-17-3, 1-15-2 WCHA) will entertain the No. 2 team in the country this weekend, when Minnesota Duluth comes to John Glas Fieldhouse for a two-game series Jan. 18-19. Game times are set for 7:07 p.m. and 2:07 p.m., respectively.

WCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Jan. 15, 2008
Offensive Player of the Week: Karine Demeule, University of Minnesota Duluth
Defensive Player of the Week: Brittni Kuyper, St. Cloud State University
Rookie of the Week: Annie Bauerfeld, Bemidji State University

2007-08 Bemidji State WCHA Player of the Week recipients
Oct. 9, 2007 - Julie Rising - Rookie of the Week
Oct. 16, 2007 - Emily Brookshaw - Defensive Player of the Week
Nov. 27, 2007 - Emily Brookshaw - Defensive Player of the Week
Jan. 3, 2008 - Erin Cody - Rookie of the Week
Jan. 15, 2008 - Annie Bauerfeld - Rookie of the Week

--bsu--