POTSDAM, NY -- Junior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) was named the Most Valuable Player of the Clarkson University Women's Hockey team, highlighting the awards at the Golden Knights' end-of-season banquet on March 11.

Freshman Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) was selected Clarkson's Rookie of the Year, while junior Kimberly McKenney (Smiths Falls, ONT) was named the Coaches Award winner.

Clarkson also paid tribute to the Class of 2008. Seniors Brooke Beazer (Kingston, ONT), Jessica Cloutier (Parker, CO), Amanda Dittmer (Chatham, ONT) and Katie Morrison (Ridgefield, CT) closed out their collegiate careers by leading the Green and Gold to the best record in the program's five-year history.

The Knights skated to a 24-9-5 overall record, and finished fourth in ECAC Hockey with a 13-6-3 league mark. The Green and Gold rallied to defeat Princeton in the league's postseason quarterfinal round, earning their first victories ever over the Tigers, by winning the best-of-three game series 2-1 at Cheel Arena. The finest season in Clarkson's brief history came to a close in the conference semifinal round as the Knights fell to the top team in the country, Harvard, as the Crimson pulled away for a hard fought 3-0 win on their home ice at the Bright Hockey Center on March 8. Clarkson was ranked eighth in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national poll.  

New co-head coaches Shannon and Matt Desrosiers also announced the team leaders for the 2008-09 campaign. McKenney, a three-year starter on defense was voted team captain, while classmates Gaudet and Courtney O'Connor (Chicago, IL) were chosen assistant captains.

Gaudet enjoyed a standout junior campaign at right wing for Clarkson, setting the school-record for goals in a season with 24. She also had 10 assists for 34 points through 38 games. Gaudet was second in ECAC Hockey in league goals with 16. She tallied seven power-play goals and a team-high seven game-winners. Gaudet scored both goals in the quarterfinal-series clinching 2-1 victory over Princeton on March 2. She has 69 career points on 41 goals and 28 assists through 108 games. Gaudet was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week once (1/21) and selected three times to league's weekly Honor Roll (12/3, 1/15, 2/11).

Waldie made a big impression in her inaugural collegiate campaign and was named to ECAC Hockey's All-Rookie Team as a right wing. Clarkson's third-leading scorer with 36 points, she tied the school record for most points by a freshman.  Waldie scored 19 goals to go along with 17 assists through 38 games. She was tied for the rookie scoring lead in conference action with 22 points (12-10). Waldie scored a team-high nine power-play goals and connected for six game-winners.

A consistent, underrated performer on the Clarkson blueline, McKenney scored 11 points on three goals and eight assists playing in all 38 games. She tallied twice on the power play, including the tying goal in 3-3 draw against Top-10 ranked Dartmouth on January 11. McKenney was named to ECAC Hockey All-Academic team.