Women's Honors: NCAA Champion Badgers Dominate Final Monthly Awards
Thursday, April 16, 2026
With a ninth NCAA championship trophy on the shelf, the University of Wisconsin leads the way with the final monthly honorees of the 2025-26 season.
Women’s Forward of the Month: Kelly Gorbatenko, Junior F, Wisconsin
(Barrington, IL)
Gorbatenko recorded a hat trick in the Badgers’ 6-0 blanking of Quinnipiac in the NCAA Regional Final and came up big in the NCAA Championship game, a 3-2 win over Ohio State. She had a goal and an assist in that final, ending with 6-4-10 in five March games, recording at least one point in every game.
Runners-Up:
Kahlen Lamarche, JR F, Quinnipiac
(Sudbury, ON) (5 GP, 3-5-8)
Tessa Janecke, SR F, Penn State
(Orangeville, IL) (3 GP, 3-1-4)
Women’s Co-Defenders of the Month: Emma Peschel, SR D, Ohio State
(Edina, MN)
Peschel led the Buckeyes to the WCHA Championship with five points (2-3-5) in the two games of the WCHA Final Five. She also had a point in each of the three NCAA Tournament games Ohio State played, ending the month with 1-7-8 in eight games played.
Molly Boyle, FR D, Yale University (Scituate, MA)
Boyle anchored a stingy Yale defense and also added 3-1-4 from the blueline.
She had a point in each of Yale’s four games in March, including two GWGs,
including the only goal in Yale’s 1-0 win over Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA
Tournament.
Women’s Tri-Goalies of the Month: Ava McNaughton, JR G, Wisconsin
(Seven Field, PA)
Became the fourth Badger netminder to be named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, joining the likes of Jessie Vetter (2009), Kristen Campbell (2019) and Cami Kronish (2023). Had 34 saves in NCAA Championship Game, a 3-2 win over Ohio State, her 28th win of the season. She had a .938 save percentage in her five March games.
Tia Chan, GR G, Connecticut (Hamilton, ON )
MVP of the Hockey East Tournament, Chan capped her career with eye-popping numbers in big games: 4-1-0, .968, 1.09.
Felicia Frank, SO G, Quinnipiac (Falköping, Sweden )
Frank’s saves by game for March: 37, 30, 31, 29 and 45. She went 4-1, the only loss being to NCAA champion Wisconsin. Her save percentage on the month was .940.
Runner-Up:
Katie DeSa, SR G, Penn State
(Pawcatuck, CT) (3 GP, 1.99, .941)
Women’s Rookie of the Month: Adéla Šapovalivová, FR F, Wisconsin
(Beroun, Czechia)
Šapovalivová went 3-5-8 in 5 games for the NCAA champs and two of those five assists came in the 3-2 NCAA championship win over Ohio State.
Runner-Up:
Matilde Fantin, FR F, Penn State
(Como, Italy) (3 GP, 1-1-2)
