March 7, 2008

Storrs, Conn. - It was announced by the Hockey East Association Friday night at the annual awards banquet, that women's hockey senior defenseman Kathleen Smith (Waterloo, Ontario) was named a 2008 First-Team Hockey East All-Star. It was also announced that freshman forward Alyse Ruff (Tualatin, Ore.) was named to the 2008 Hockey East All-Rookie team, while Mari Pehkonen (Tampere, Finland) recieved Honorable Mention accolades. Capping off the awards for Providence was senior forward Cherie Hendrickson (Boxford, Mass.), who won the 2008 Turfer Athletic Award.

On the season, Smith ranks first in points scored by a defenseman with 15 (eight goals, seven assists) in HE play. She also ranks second in the nation in goals scored by a defenseman, with 15 as well as ranking fifth in the nation in points per game average among defensemen with a 0.85 mark. Smith leads the Friars with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists). She has played in 136 games for the Friars, which is tied for the eighth-most in program history. For her career she has totalled 83 points on 28 goals and 55 assists. In her freshman season, she was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team as well as to the All-Hockey East Second Team. This season she earned Hockey East Player of the Month honors for January.

Ruff ranks fifth in freshman scoring among Hockey East scorers with 18 points (14 goals, four assists). Her 14 goals are the second most among HE rookies. She notched a hat trick in the third period of Providence's game versus Northeastern on February 17, marking Ruff's second hat trick of the season. Ruff is one of only three Hockey East skaters to record a hat trick this season, and the only one with more than one hat trick.

Pehkonen has notched seven goals and added 11 assists for 18 points. Sixteen of her 18 points have come in Hockey East play, as she has six goals and 16 asssists in conference action.

Hendrickson won the 2008 Turfer Athletic Award, which is preseneted annually to an individual, coach or team who best represents the core values of Turfer Athletics; tenacity, commitment and innovation. Hendickson has continued to make sacrifices for the betterment of her team. This season she has established new career-highs in goals (eight) and points (14).

The Friars return to action as the third seed of the Hockey East Tournament. PC will face-off against second seeded Connecticut in the semifinals, which will take place on March 8 in Storrs, Conn at 3:00 p.m. The finals will be played on March 9 at 12:30 p.m.