MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's hockey freshman trio of Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Kirsten Simms were each named as finalists for WCHA honors on Monday.

Edwards, Harvey and Simms were named the top-three finalists for the WCHA Rookie of the Year award, while Harvey was also named a top-three finalist for the WCHA Defender of the Year.

Wisconsin is guaranteed its sixth WCHA Rookie of the Year honor, as one of the UW freshmen will join UW legends Sara Bauer (2004), Meghan Duggan (2007), Annie Pankowski (2015), Abby Roque (2017) and Sophie Shirley (2019) as award recipients. 

Meanwhile, Harvey looks to become the fifth Badger to earn WCHA Defender of the Year honors and the first since Stefanie McKeough in 2012. 

Edwards has 23 points this season thanks to 10 goals and 13 assists, including seven points in the last seven games for the Cardinal and White. The 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship Most Outstanding Player, Edwards was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team last week and was also named the WCHA Rookie of the Week twice this season. She was named the WCHA Rookie of the Month for February. 

A 2022 Olympian, Harvey has 35 points this season, which ranks second among WCHA defenders and third for the Badgers this season. The Salem, New Hampshire, native sports a +36 plus/minus rating that ranks second among WCHA blueliners and fifth among all skaters. Harvey's 11 goals this year are tied for the seventh most in school history by a defender, and only Sis Paulsen has posted more points as a Badger rookie defender in the program's history.

Simms enters this weekend with 14 goals and 15 assists, including a pair of game-winning goals against Minnesota State and No. 1 Ohio State in February. The Plymouth, Michigan, native ranks second among WCHA skaters with 29 points, six behind fellow Badger freshman Harvey, while her 14 goals pace all WCHA rookies. The center was recognized as the WCHA Rookie of the Month in December and was one of five UW rookies to be named the league's rookie of the week. 

The WCHA will announce the winners of the WCHA Rookie of the Year and WCHA Defender of the Year, along with the WCHA Forward of the Year and WCHA Goaltender of the year, on Wednesday.