MIAC announces 2021-22 Women’s Hockey awards

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its award honorees for the 2021-22 Women’s Hockey season on Monday.

Hamline junior forward Sophie Rausch and Saint Mary’s senior goaltender Ary Ziakas were recognized as Co-Players of the Year, while Hamline senior forward Jordan Hansen was honored with the Sheila Brown Award for citizenship in women’s hockey, and Gustavus head coach Mike Carroll was celebrated by his peers with the MIAC Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year award.

Rausch (Fergus Falls, Minn.) led the MIAC in both goals scored (14) and points (21) in conference games this season. She had at least one goal in all but one conference series in 2021-22, while scoring three times on power plays and accounting for a pair of game-winners along the way. Rausch joins teammate Jordan Hansen – who was MIAC Co-Player of the Year in 2019-20 – as the only players in Hamline history to have received the Conference’s top individual honor.

Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) posted a save percentage of 0.932 and a goals-allowed average of 2.01 to lead Saint Mary’s to its first top-three MIAC finish in two decades. Ziakas spent nearly 748 minutes between the pipes in conference play this season, making 341 saves and accumulating a winning percentage of 0.625 in league games. Ziakas joins former Cardinals forward Tennie McCabe as the only players in Saint Mary’s history to receive MIAC Player of the Year recognition. McCabe was selected Co-Player of the Year with Augsburg’s Angie Rieger in 2000-01.

Hansen (White Bear Lake, Minn. | Cretin-Derham Hall) was the recipient of the prestigious Sheila Brown Award. The award is named for the longtime St. Catherine athletic director who played a critical role in bringing varsity women’s hockey to the MIAC in the late 1990s. The award is presented by St. Catherine to a senior women’s hockey student-athlete who has made a long-term contribution to her team’s success and who has consistently competed with good sportsmanship. The winner is selected based on the following criteria: team leadership, sportsmanship and volunteer work, academic excellence and hockey skills and production. A team captain and the 2019-20 MIAC Co-Player of the Year, Hansen played in 16 conference games for the Pipers in 2021-22, scoring six goals – three of which were game-winners – and assisting on four scores. She is one of just three Pipers in program history to record more than 100 career points. Off the ice, Hansen has maintained a 3.6 grade-point average while majoring in Legal Studies. She is currently pursuing both law and paralegal certificates through the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Hansen is the third Hamline player in history to receive the Sheila Brown Award, joining Jaci Reinke (2017) and Zoey Lobejko (2020).

Carroll received MIAC Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time in his 23 seasons at the helm for the Gusties. Gustavus locked up its MIAC-record 17th women’s hockey regular-season title in 2021-22 with a record of 13-1-2 in league play. Carroll also recorded the 450th coaching victory of his career in January. After awards voting had concluded, Carroll also guided the Gusties to their 13th MIAC Playoff championship in program history and a 15th NCAA Tournament berth.

In addition to individual awards, MIAC coaches also voted on All-Conference and All-Rookie Teams. Twenty MIAC student-athletes were selected to the All-Conference Team, with an additional nine garnering honorable mention accolades. Six first-year players received All-Rookie honors.

Due to no conference awards being issued in 2020-21 as a result of COVID-compacted winter seasons, just four of this year’s All-MIAC selections in women’s hockey had previously received the honor. Gustavus forwards Hailey Holland, Molly McHugh, and Kristina Press joined Hamline forward Sophie Rausch on the 2019-20 All-Conference squad. Bethel goaltender Mallory Tidona and St. Catherine forward Laura Denchfield earned honorable mention for the second time in the last two full seasons, having been selected to the honorable mention squad in both 2020 and 2022.

As part of a Conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the 15th-annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for women’s hockey. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. 

2021-22 MIAC Women’s Hockey Awards