Gopher Hockey wins Big Ten Female Team of Year Award

The Big Ten Conference announced their yearly awards Wednesday and the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team was — golden. The Gophers brought home three awards for the 2012-13 athletic season, including Big Ten Female Team of the Year.

Finishing the season undefeated at 41-0-0 and claiming their second straight National Championship, the women of the ice at Minnesota achieved record-breaking heights all year long. Head coach Brad Frost was also named the Big Ten Women’s Team Coach of the Year for his efforts on the bench last season.

Frost was also named the National Coach of the Year this past season in women’s hockey.

Individually it is hard to argue that Amanda Kessel was not the best female athlete overall in the conference. She took home the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year award after posting a 101 point season for Minnesota and winning the Patty Kazmaier Award for being the top female hockey player nationally as well.

It is to no surprise among fans that followed the team all season, as they saw a dominating performances by Kessel, the coaches, and the rest of the team as a whole. Kessel is the first Gophers female athlete to take home player of the year honors since Gretchen Hegener co-won the award for swimming in 1997. She was also just named a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that will compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

• Minnesota linebacker Lamonte Edwards was dismissed from the team Wednesday for violating team rules after he admitted to stealing a cell phone from a Gophers weight room on campus.
• Lakeville North shooting guard J.P. Macura made an unofficial visit to the Gophers on Wednesday. A scholarship offer is likely for the three-star recruit.

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