ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The University of Michigan-Dearborn women's ice hockey team embarks on a new journey beginning on Wednesday (Mar. 13). The Wolverines are set to play in the ACHA National Tournament for the first time in program history. A matchup against the No. 6 McKendree Bearcats awaits the Wolverines.
Scouting McKendree
The Bearcats are led by junior defenseman and ACHA First Team All-Athletic member Aria Groot, who leads the team with 38 points. Groot has a team-high 31 assists and added seven goals. Sophomore forward Jayna Barnden leads the team in goals with 15. The Bearcats have seen four goalies start between the pipes this year. However, Rachel Staresinic is the mainstay in the net with 19 starts. The sophomore netminder sports a 7-9-0 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Senior Brianna Burke has the second most starts with seven and a 4-2-0 record.
A Familiar Foe
The Wolverines and Bearcats are familiar with each other as the two teams squared off back in October, with the Bearcats taking a 4-1 victory. The score does not depict the outcome, as the Wolverines trailed 2-1 late in the third period. Penalties were the deciding factor in the contest, as the Wolverines took four minor penalties in the final stanza, resulting in two goals in the final 10 minutes from the Bearcats. Victoria Hahn started in net for the Wolverines, stopping 27 of the 31 shots she faced that day. Kaylee Keledjian scored the lone goal for the Wolverines, and Samantha Sensoli and Madison Schroeder added assists. The Bearcats outshot the Wolverines 13-5 in the final period to bring the total to 31-21 on the day in favor of McKendree.
The Bracket
The 2024 ACHA tournament comprises 10 teams from various ACHA WD1 conferences. The top seed belongs to the Liberty University Flames out of the Women's Midwest College Hockey League. The Flames tallied 19 wins on the season and won the WMCH conference tournament. The runner-up, Midland University, holds the No. 2 seed and the only two byes in the tournament.
The No. 3 seed comes from the CCWHA, where the tournament champion Adrian College Bulldogs secured an auto bid. Rounding out the top 4 is Minot State University, which boasts a record of 21-11-0-1. Four CCWHA teams make up the tournament, with Indiana Tech and Michigan earning at-large bids.
Accolades Galore
The Wolverines' success during the 2023-24 season has not gone unnoticed. Four Wolverines appeared on the CCWHA All-Conference teams, with Samantha Sensoli taking home first-team honors. Sensoli, the nation's top point scorer, was also named Second Team All-Athletic, the ACHA's version of the All-American award. Sensoli has amassed 52 points, scoring 18 goals and dishing out 31 assists.
Sensoli's linemates, Madison Schroeder and Amy Palaian, were Second Team All-Conference. Schroeder, a senior from Allen Park, Mich., finished third in all of WD1 and second in the CCWHA with 43 points. Schroeder finished second on the team with 22 goals and was second with 21 assists. Schroeder was second on the team with seven power-play goals and led the team with four game-winning goals.
Palaian, a freshman blueliner, received All-Rookie Team in addition to her all-conference award. The White Lake, Mich., native tallied 20 points on six goals and 14 assists. Not only was Palaian strong offensively, but she was also relentless defensively, as she finished the season +14 with only 12 penalty minutes in 28 games played.
Kenna Borso rounded out the accolades with her All-Rookie Team honor. Borso was an integral part of the Wolverines' success this season. Borso sported a record of 15-2-0 with a 1.35 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. Borso had an impressive 10 shutouts this season and helped the Wolverines clinch their first ACHA Tournament berth in program history.
Where to Watch
Every ACHA Tournament game can be watched at Flohockey.tv. Wednesday's contest can be found HERE .
