Jennifer Gardiner and Cayla Barnes celebrate a goal during Ohio State’s 4-1 victory against St. Thomas Feb. 17. Gardiner and Barnes are among seven Buckeyes awarded as all-conference players.
Seven Ohio State women’s ice hockey players were awarded all-conference honors this season, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Thursday.
Graduate forward Hannah Bilka and graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes were named to the all-WCHA first team. Graduate defenseman Hadley Hartmetz made the second team, graduate forward and team captain Jennifer Gardiner, freshman forward Joy Dunne and senior goaltender Raygan Kirk made the third team while freshman forward Jocelyn Amos joined Dunne on the all-rookie team.
Bilka leads the Buckeyes in points and assists this season, with 39 and 22 in each respective category, in her first season at Ohio State since transferring from Boston College. Fellow Boston College transfer Barnes recorded a team-high 48 blocked shots and led all WCHA defenders with 24 points in regular-season conference games.
Hartmetz is tied with Barnes for most points from a Buckeye defenseman this season, with 27. Hartmetz collected four WCHA Defender of the Week honors throughout the season.
Dunne leads Ohio State in goals, scoring 18 times in her freshman regular season. She also tallied two hat tricks this season against Bemidji State on Nov. 3, 2023, and against Minnesota on Jan. 12.
Gardiner’s all-conference award is the second of her career after she made the first team in the 2022-23 season. Gardiner has the second-most points for the Buckeyes this season with 36, and the third-most goals with 15.
Kirk finished the regular season with a 1.02 goals-against average, ranking first in the WCHA and fourth nationally. She earned a record of 14-1-0 and six shutouts and was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week five times.
Amos tallied 12 goals and 24 points in her freshman season, earning the WCHA’s Rookie of the Week honors twice.
