The Wisconsin women’s hockey team’s season didn’t end the way they had hoped, but it was still one of the most successful campaigns for the team in recent history. While the team received incredible production from all over their roster, a trio of Badgers were individually honored by U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO).
Junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens was elected to the All-USCHO First Team, an honor that comes as no surprise. Desbiens easily turned in the best performance of any netminder this season, and arguably one of the best seasons in NCAA history. Desbiens merely set NCAA records in save percentage (.960), goals-against-average (.76) and shutouts (21), and contributed the majority of minutes in goal during Wisconsin’s record-setting 624 minutes and 18 seconds shutout streak. The goalie also took in plenty of additional hardware, earning the WCHA Final Face-Off Most Outstanding Player, WCHA Player of the Year, first-team All-American honors and was a top-3 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Sophomore forward Annie Pankowski was elected to the All-USCHO Second Team. A product of Laguna Hills, California, Pankowski was the focal point of a balanced Wisconsin attack. Third on the team in goals (22) and first in assists (36), Pankowski was seventh in the country in both total points (58) and points per game (1.45). Her 58 points were the most by a Badger since the program’s national championship 2011-'12 season. In addition to All-USCHO honors, Pankowski was an All-WCHA First Team player, a second-team All-American and a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Senior captain and defenseman Courtney Burke was elected to the All-USCHO Third Team. Burke finished off her career at Wisconsin as one of the most successful defensemen in program history. Her 35 points this season, good for fourth in the nation in defenseman scoring, sent her over 100 career points. Her final total of 107 points is the third most for any Wisconsin defenseman in history. Burke also earned second-team All-American honors, along with WCHA Final Face-Off All-Tournament Team and All-WCHA First Team honors.
Burke headlines the eight-strong senior class leaving the Badgers next year, a class that has been instrumental in building the Wisconsin program into the powerhouse it is today.
