University of New Hampshire Athletics
Six Awards Handed Out at Annual Team Banquet
4/9/2019 10:52:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team concluded the 2018-19 season with its annual team banquet on Sunday. The event featured six team awards and head coach Hilary Witt reflecting on the season and the Class of 2019.
2018-19 UNH Women's Hockey Team Awards
Karyn L. Bye Award (MVP) – Taylor Wenczkowski
Colleen Coyne Award (Best Defensive Player) – Jenna Rheault
Sue Merz Award (7th Player) – Kyra Smith
Tricia Dunn Award (Most Improved Player) – Lauren Martin
Dr. Allison Edgar Academic Award for Excellence – Abby Chapman, Grace Middleton,
Carlee Turner
Blue Line Club Award – Marie-Jo Pelletier
Junior forward Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) was feted with the Karyn L. Bye Award as Most Valuable Player for an outstanding season leading the Wildcats' offense. On the eve of the Hockey East semifinals, she was named a Third Team All-Star.
Wenczkowski played in all 36 games and led UNH in goals with 20. She also recorded team highs in both points (26) and shots (168), as well as game-winning goals (five), power-play goals (five) and shooting percentage (.119). With those stats, Wenczkowski ranked seventh in Hockey East in goals and 19th in points, as well as second in game-winning goals and sixth in shots.
Wenczkowski's season highlights included her first career hat trick that lifted UNH to a 3-3 tie against nationally-ranked Boston University, and a pair of four-point weekends that led UNH two sweeps of Merrimack College and University of Maine.
The Colleen Coyne Defensive Player Award was given to senior defenseman Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.), who anchored the Wildcats' defense. She was second on the team in blocked shots with 50. Rheault tallied a single-game high of three blocked shots six times.
Across her four seasons as a Wildcat, Rheault ranked among the top three in blocked shots with an average of 54.5 blocks per season. She also contributed 10 points (two goals, eight assists).
The Sue Merz 7th Player Award was bestowed to senior captain Kyra Smith (Littleton, Colo.) for her outstanding play in net. She posted a 12-12-4 record in 28 games (all starts) with a 2.25 GAA, a .925 save percentage and four shutouts; those numbers were personal single-season bests in wins, GAA, save percentage and shutouts, as well as minutes (1679:47).
Smith had 11 games with 30 or more saves, including a 41-save performance in a 5-0 win against Providence College. She recorded her first career shutout with 31 saves in a 2-0 victory at Dartmouth College.
Freshman forward Lauren Martin (Cambridge, Ontario) was awarded the Tricia Dunn Award as the most improved player. Martin played all 36 games and led the Wildcats in assists with 14. She also scored three goals for a total of 17 points. She tied for eighth in Hockey East in freshmen scoring. Martin recorded a pair of two-assist efforts and had three multiple-point efforts overall. Her other highlight included a four-game point streak that spanned the last weekend of January and first February weekend.
The Dr. Allison Edgar Academic Award for Excellence was presented to three players – junior Abby Chapman (Beverly Hills, Mich.), sophomore Grace Middleton (Midland, Mich.) and junior Carlee Turner (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – for their achievement in the classroom. Chapman also received this distinction as a freshman following the 2016-17 season.
Senior defensemen and third-year captain Marie-Jo Pelletier (Dalhousie, New Brunswick) was awarded the Blue Line Club Award, given to a player that embodies what it means to be a Wildcat by exhibiting a positive culture in the locker room, on the ice, in youth clinics and in the community.
On the ice, Pelletier skated in all 36 games and ranked second in assists with 12. She was also third in blocks (44) and scored three goals for a total of 15 points. Pelletier was the recipient of the 2018-19 Hockey East Sportsmanship Award.
In addition to the aforementioned Pelletier, Rheault and Smith and Caitlyn Radatovich (Advance, N.C.) and Devan Taylor (North Billerica, Mass.) were honored as the Class of 2019.
The Class of 2019: Devan Taylor, Jenna Rheault, Kyra Smith, Caitlyn Radatovich, Marie-Jo Pelletier
2018-19 UNH Women's Hockey Team Awards
Karyn L. Bye Award (MVP) – Taylor Wenczkowski
Colleen Coyne Award (Best Defensive Player) – Jenna Rheault
Sue Merz Award (7th Player) – Kyra Smith
Tricia Dunn Award (Most Improved Player) – Lauren Martin
Dr. Allison Edgar Academic Award for Excellence – Abby Chapman, Grace Middleton,
Carlee Turner
Blue Line Club Award – Marie-Jo Pelletier
Junior forward Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) was feted with the Karyn L. Bye Award as Most Valuable Player for an outstanding season leading the Wildcats' offense. On the eve of the Hockey East semifinals, she was named a Third Team All-Star.
Wenczkowski played in all 36 games and led UNH in goals with 20. She also recorded team highs in both points (26) and shots (168), as well as game-winning goals (five), power-play goals (five) and shooting percentage (.119). With those stats, Wenczkowski ranked seventh in Hockey East in goals and 19th in points, as well as second in game-winning goals and sixth in shots.
Wenczkowski's season highlights included her first career hat trick that lifted UNH to a 3-3 tie against nationally-ranked Boston University, and a pair of four-point weekends that led UNH two sweeps of Merrimack College and University of Maine.
The Colleen Coyne Defensive Player Award was given to senior defenseman Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.), who anchored the Wildcats' defense. She was second on the team in blocked shots with 50. Rheault tallied a single-game high of three blocked shots six times.
Across her four seasons as a Wildcat, Rheault ranked among the top three in blocked shots with an average of 54.5 blocks per season. She also contributed 10 points (two goals, eight assists).
The Sue Merz 7th Player Award was bestowed to senior captain Kyra Smith (Littleton, Colo.) for her outstanding play in net. She posted a 12-12-4 record in 28 games (all starts) with a 2.25 GAA, a .925 save percentage and four shutouts; those numbers were personal single-season bests in wins, GAA, save percentage and shutouts, as well as minutes (1679:47).
Smith had 11 games with 30 or more saves, including a 41-save performance in a 5-0 win against Providence College. She recorded her first career shutout with 31 saves in a 2-0 victory at Dartmouth College.
Freshman forward Lauren Martin (Cambridge, Ontario) was awarded the Tricia Dunn Award as the most improved player. Martin played all 36 games and led the Wildcats in assists with 14. She also scored three goals for a total of 17 points. She tied for eighth in Hockey East in freshmen scoring. Martin recorded a pair of two-assist efforts and had three multiple-point efforts overall. Her other highlight included a four-game point streak that spanned the last weekend of January and first February weekend.
The Dr. Allison Edgar Academic Award for Excellence was presented to three players – junior Abby Chapman (Beverly Hills, Mich.), sophomore Grace Middleton (Midland, Mich.) and junior Carlee Turner (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – for their achievement in the classroom. Chapman also received this distinction as a freshman following the 2016-17 season.
Senior defensemen and third-year captain Marie-Jo Pelletier (Dalhousie, New Brunswick) was awarded the Blue Line Club Award, given to a player that embodies what it means to be a Wildcat by exhibiting a positive culture in the locker room, on the ice, in youth clinics and in the community.
On the ice, Pelletier skated in all 36 games and ranked second in assists with 12. She was also third in blocks (44) and scored three goals for a total of 15 points. Pelletier was the recipient of the 2018-19 Hockey East Sportsmanship Award.
In addition to the aforementioned Pelletier, Rheault and Smith and Caitlyn Radatovich (Advance, N.C.) and Devan Taylor (North Billerica, Mass.) were honored as the Class of 2019.
The Class of 2019: Devan Taylor, Jenna Rheault, Kyra Smith, Caitlyn Radatovich, Marie-Jo Pelletier
![Graphic with action shots of each award winner. [L to R] Noemi Martinez, Hannah Rodgers, Nina Rossi, Kelly Harty, Ireland Fredrickson](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Funh.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F5%2F7%2Fwhockey_2526_awards_graphic.png&height=340&type=webp)
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/ Women's Ice HockeySaturday, February 21
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