Pankowski named National Rookie of the Year
March 19, 2015 | Women's Hockey
March19, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - Wisconsin women's hockey freshman Annie Pankowski was named the 2014-15 National Rookie of the Year, the Women's Hockey Commissioners Association announced on Thursday night.
A native of Laguna Hills, California, Pankowski is the first Badger to win the award, now in its second year of existence.
Pankowski has enjoyed a rookie season to remember in Madison, as she has a team-high 20 goals and a team-best 42 points. Her 1.11 points per game average leads all NCAA rookies and ranks 16th among all players in the nation.
The 2015 WCHA Rookie of the Year, Pankowski has two hat tricks this season, becoming only the fourth freshman in school history to net multiple hat tricks in a single season.
Her 42 career points are the seventh most by a Wisconsin rookie, while her 20 goals are tied for the sixth most by a UW rookie with Wisconsin legend Hilary Knight.
In the biggest game of her Wisconsin career last Saturday afternoon, Pankowski put on a show, scoring two goals, including a highlight-reel tally three minutes into the game, to propel the Badgers to a 5-1 win over No. 5 Boston University.
The ballot for this award is made up of the conference Rookie of the Year selections. Each program playing NCAA Division I women's ice hockey receives a ballot, with assistant coaches at each school submitting one ballot per school. The runner-up for this year's award was Clarkson University's freshman goaltender Shea Tilley.
The Women's National Rookie of the Year was established in 2014 by the Women's Hockey Commissioners Association. A similar award, the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year Award, is presented by the men's commissioners.
Pankowski and the No. 3 Badgers meet No. 1 Minnesota in the semifinals of the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four on Friday night. Faceoff at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis is set for 5 p.m.
