Finalists Named for League’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award
ALBANY, N.Y. -- ECAC Hockey today announced the finalists for
the 2011 Women’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award. Laura
Martindale from Princeton, Josephine Pucci of Harvard, and
Cornell’s Lauriane Rougeau have each been nominated for the
honor by the league’s coaches. These three defenders were
instrumental in leading their teams to a top-three scoring defense
ranking in conference action this season.
A four-year letterwinner at Princeton, senior defenseman Laura
Martindale has appeared in over 100 games during her career with
the Tigers. The co-captain has aided in back boning Princeton to
the second best scoring defense in conference play this season,
only surrendering 1.91 goals-per-game. Martindale has played in all
key situations for the Tigers and is known as one of the hardest
workers on the ice. Martindale finished a +5 on the season.
Harvard sophomore Josephine Pucci has developed into one of the
Crimson’s most reliable defenders the past two season,
earning a solid reputation from coaches around the league. The
Pearl River, NY native has piloted the Harvard defense this season,
which has only given up 1.95 goals-per-game. She is also a
contributor at the other end of the ice netting eight goals and
adding seven assists in 20 league contests for the Crimson. Pucci
was named to the US National team roster for the Four Nations Cup
and is on the preliminary roster for the IIHF World
Championships.
One player who did not experience a ‘sophomore slump’
during the 2010-11 season was Cornell’s Lauriane Rougeau. For
the second year in a row she helped anchor a Big Red defense that
was solid all year. Rougeau was the top blueliner on the
nation’s top scoring defense (0.97 G/GM), which only
surrendered 20 goals in 22 league games. She led the nation in
plus/minus among defenders (+43) and helped Cornell successfully
stop an incredible 73 of 77 penalty kill situations (94.8%) in
conference play. The two-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Nominee
also quarterbacks the nation’s top power-play unit, which
boasts a 26.4% success rate.
