2011–12 CHA women's ice hockey season

2011–12 College Hockey America women's ice hockey season
League	NCAA Division I
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	September 2010 through March, 2011
Regular Season
Tournament
Ice hockey seasons
← 10–11	11–12 →

The 2011–12 College Hockey America women's ice hockey season marked the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive ice hockey among College Hockey America members.

Contents 1 Offseason 1.1 Wayne State transfers 2 Exhibition 2.1 CIS 2.2 PWHL 3 Regular season 3.1 News and notes 3.1.1 September 3.1.2 October 3.1.3 December 3.2 Standings 3.3 In-season honors 3.3.1 Players of the week 3.3.2 Defensive players of the week 3.3.3 Rookies of the week 3.4 Monthly awards 3.4.1 Player of the month 3.4.2 Defensive Player of the month 3.4.3 Rookie of the month 4 Postseason 4.1 2012 CHA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament 5 See also 6 References

Offseason

• May 27: CHA member Wayne State University have announced that sponsorship of the women's ice hockey program has been dissolved. The decision was attributed due to continuing reductions in the state of Michigan appropriations for higher education.^[1] The Wayne State Warriors recorded an all-time CHA mark of 48-59-7 (.452) in nine seasons, tying for the CHA regular-season title in 2007-08.
• June 13: Mercyhurst Lakers assistant coach Paul Colontino has left the club to become head coach of the Robert Morris Colonials. He is the third head coach in Colonials history, after the resignation of Nate Handrahan, who left to assume the head coaching position at Ohio State.^[2]
• Sept. 6: Robert DeGregorio, Commissioner for College Hockey America (CHA), announced that the Penn State Nittany Lions have been accepted into the CHA. The Nittany Lions will officially join the conference starting with the 2012-13 season. ^[3]

Wayne State transfers

Player	Position	New team
Gina Buquet	Forward	Mercyhurst Lakers
Cari Coen	Forward/Defense	St. Cloud State Huskies[4]
Jill Szandzik	Defense	Mercyhurst Lakers[5]

Exhibition

CIS

Date	CHA team	Opponent	Location	Time	Score	Lakers scorers
9/17/2011	Mercyhurst	Wilfrid Laurier University (Exhibition)	Erie, Pa.	4 p.m.	10-2[6]	Bailey Bram (3), Kristine Grenier (3), Shelby Bram, Christine Bestland, Gina Buquet, Candice Styles

• September 17, 2011: Senior Bailey Bram registered a hat trick to go with her three assists, as the Lakers trounced the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's ice hockey program by a 10-2 tally. Her sister, Shelby Bram scored one goal while freshman Kristine Grenier also registered a hat trick in the match. Kelley Steadman contributed with four assists.

PWHL

Date	CHA team	Opponent	Location	Time	Score	Lakers scorers
9/24/2011	Mercyhurst	Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres	Erie, Pa.	4 p.m.	6-0	Kelley Steadman, Christine Bestland, Christie Cicero, Jess Jones, Caroline Luczak, Kristine Grenier
9/25/2011	Mercyhurst	Toronto Jr. Aeros	Erie, Pa.	12 p.m.	5-1	Caroline Luczak, Shelby Bram, Christine Bestland, Kelley Steadman, Christie Cicero

• September 24, 2011: Sophomore Christine Bestland notched five points as the Lakers defeated the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres of the PWHL by a 6-0 score. The Lakers scored four goals within a five and a half minute time span late in the second period.^[7]
• September 25, 2011: Freshman Caroline Luczak notched a goal, while registering three assists as the Lakers defeated the Toronto Jr. Aeros of the PWHL.^[8]

Regular season

News and notes

September

• September 14: The Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey program officially submitted an application to join College Hockey America (CHA) for the 2012–2013 season.^[9]
• In the Mercyhurst Lakers season opener on September 30, 2011, Bestland was named the game's First Star in a 4-0 shutout over the nationally ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats.^[10] Bailey Bram scored the game winning goal (it was the 61st goal of her career). Goaltender Hillary Pattenden earned her 13th career shutout (and 81st career win) while Bailey Bram scored the game winning goal.

October

• October 1, 2011: Bailey Bram played in her 100th career game for the Mercyhurst Lakers. Bram would be held pointless as the Lakers would lose the game by a 1-0 tally to Quinnipiac. It was Quinnipiac's first victory over Mercyhurst in twelve regular season matches.
• October 7-8: Robert Morris freshman Katie Fergus accumulated three points in her NCAA debut with one goal and two assists.^[11] Against the Lindenwood Lions, she got her first-collegiate point fewer than nine minutes into the opening period. Later in the game, she scored her fist goal as the Colonials were on the penalty kill. In the second game versus Lindenwood, she earned her first multi-goal game.^[12] Fergus became one of just two freshmen in Colonials history to register multi-point performances in the first two games of a season.^[13] Fergus finished the series versus Lindenwood by scoring three goals and two assists five points. In addition, she had eight shots to complement a +5 plus/minus.
• October 8, 2011: Brianna Delaney registered the sixth three-point game of her career at Robert Morris. With the achievement, she tied the Colonials all-time record for career points. The 24th-career multi-point game of her career increased her point total to 97. The total now equals the record that Sara O'Malley set during the 2010-11 campaign. ^[14]
• October 27-28: The series versus the Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey program marked the first time that Lindenwood hosted an NCAA Division I opponent in their home arena.^[15] Mercyhurst would win the October 28 match by a 7-0 tally, in which Lakers freshman Shelby Bram would score her first career NCAA goal.^[16] The October 29 contest saw Mercyhurst emerge as the victor in a 14-0 whitewash.^[17] Kelley Steadman would score four goals and notch an assist, while Jess Jones would earn a hat trick. The Bram sisters (Shelby and Bailey) each earned two goals.^[18]

December

• December 9: In a 4-2 loss to the Boston College Eagles on December 9, 2011, Kelley Steadman scored her 100th career point. The point was a goal in the second period on Boston College goalkeeper Corrine Boyles.^[19]
• December 10: In a 3-2 overtime victory versus Boston College, Hillary Pattenden made a career high 48 saves to earn the 91st victory of her NCAA career, tying former Wisconsin goaltender Jessie Vetter for the NCAA Division I record.^[20] Jill Szandzik scored at 3:01 into overtime for her second goal of the season.^[21] Bailey Bram had three assists, including one on the game-winner to give her 40 points in 16 games. Christine Bestland also earned three points. Pattenden’s 48 saves broke her previous high of 38 (made earlier in the 2011-12 season) at Minnesota State-Mankato.
• December 14: In a 9-0 defeat of the Lindenwood Lady Lions, Hillary Pattenden broke Jessie Vetter's record for career NCAA wins, by notching her 92nd career victory.^[22] Forward Bailey Bram scored two goals and added four assists while Kelley Steadman scored the game winning goal.^[23]

Standings

	Overall								Conference
	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA		GP	W	L	T	GF	GA
Robert Morris	7	5	1	1	11	31	13		0	0	0	0	0	0
#5 Mercyhurst	7	5	2	0	10				0	0	0	0	0	0
Niagara	10	4	5	1	9				0	0	0	0	0	0
Syracuse	10	4	6	0	8				0	0	0	0	0	0
Wayne State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
Championship: † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Current rankings: USCHO.com Division I women's poll

• Rankings based on number of wins in the conference
• Wayne State was scheduled to play in the 2011–12 season but the women's ice hockey program was dropped

In-season honors

Players of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Jenna Hendrikx, Niagara[24]
October 10	Christine Bestland, Mercyhurst[13]
October 17	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst[25]
October 24	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris[26]
October 31	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst[27]
November 7	Erica Owczarczak, Niagara[28]
November 14	Kylie St. Louis, Robert Morris[29] Kelsey Thomas, Robert Morris
November 21	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst[30]
November 28	Christine Bestland, Mercyhurst[31]
December 5	Jess Jones, Mercyhurst[32]
December 12	Kelley Steadman, Mercyhurst
December 19	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst

Defensive players of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
October 10	Kallie Billadeau, Syracuse
October 17	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
October 24	Abby Ryplanski, Niagara
October 31	Kallie Billadeau, Syracuse
November 7	Abby Ryplanski, Niagara
November 14	Courtney Vinet, Robert Morris
November 21	Sarah Moses, Niagara
November 28	Kristin DiCiocco, Robert Morris
December 5	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
December 12	Kristin DiCiocco, Robert Morris
December 19	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
December 26

Rookies of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Delaney Middlebrook, Niagara
October 10	Katie Fergus, Robert Morris
October 17	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris
October 24	Allie LaCombe, Syracuse
October 31	Shelby Bram, Mercyhurst
November 7	Kalli Funk, Niagara
November 14	Courtney Vinet, Robert Morris
November 21	Molly Byrne, Mercyhurst
November 28	Shelby Bram, Mercyhurst
December 5	Nicole Ferrara, Syracuse
December 12	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris
December 19	Vaila Higson, Mercyhurst
December 26

Monthly awards

Player of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst Lakers[33]
November 2011	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst Lakers[34]

Defensive Player of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
November 2011	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst

Rookie of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris Colonials
November 2011	Shelby Bram, Mercyhurst

Postseason

2012 CHA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

See also

• 2010–11 CHA women's ice hockey season
• 2011–12 WCHA women's ice hockey season
• 2011–12 ECAC women's ice hockey season
• 2011–12 Hockey East women's ice hockey season

References

College Hockey America Women Teams Lindenwood University Lady Lions (2012) • Mercyhurst Lakers • Niagara Purple Eagles • Penn State Nittany Lions (2012) • Robert Morris Colonials • Syracuse Orange Arenas Lindenwood Ice Arena (Lindenwood) (2012) • Mercyhurst Ice Center (Mercyhurst) • Dwyer Arena (Niagara) • Penn State Ice Pavilion (Penn State) (2012) • Island Sports Center (Robert Morris) • Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion (Syracuse) Tournaments 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · Champions Former teams Findlay Oilers (2002–2004) • Quinnipiac Bobcats (2004–2005) • Wayne State Warriors (2002–2011) Men (defunct) Teams Air Force Falcons (1999–2006) • Alabama–Huntsville Chargers (1999–2010) • Army Black Knights (1999–2000) • Bemidji State Beavers (1999–2010) • Findlay Oilers (1999–2004) • Niagara Purple Eagles (1999–2010) • Robert Morris Colonials (2004–2010) • Wayne State Warriors (1999–2008) Tournaments 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · Champions