Postseason awards are adding up for the Waupaca Area girls’ hockey team.
The Girls Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association named Tim Guyer as coach of the year after he led the team to a 23-3 record and a Great Northern Conference championship.
Meanwhile, senior forward Mandy Tomlinson made the association’s all-state team and freshman forward Markie Ash received honorable mention.
Tomlinson, Ash, senior Brianne Huettner, sophomore Kat Otter and freshman Avery Simonson also received all-conference recognition.
“It’s a huge honor,” Guyer said of the coaching award. “It’s a team award. It took a lot of people around us to get these awards.”
The third season in the program’s history ended Feb. 24 with a 10-0 loss to Bay Area in a sectional semifinal,
“It was fantastic,” Guyer said. “We couldn’t have done much better than we did. We overachieved and it was just a magical year.
“The kids wouldn’t quit,” he added. “It was a really unique bond of sisters in the locker room.”
Tomlinson led the state in scoring with 94 points (57 goals, 37 assists), while Ash was third with 47 goals and 36 assists for 83 points.
“She’s a good hockey player,” Guyer said of Tomlinson, who will play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. “It’s a huge honor to be on the all-state team.”
Ash was one of only three freshmen to receive all-state recognition.
“She plays hard and wants to win,” Guyer said.
Although the 2015-16 season won’t start until November, Guyer is already looking ahead. He’ll schedule summer workouts that made a big difference in the team’s success this season.
“When the summer comes around, I’m sure they’ll want to get better,” he said. “They pushed each other in the workouts and it made us stronger. Confidence is another big part of that.”
Waupaca Area will also have to replace Tomlinson, Huettner and another senior, Christina Rasmussen.
The co-op program includes players from Waupaca, Iola-Scandinavia and Amherst high schools. Huettner, from Iola-Scandinavia, was the only player on this season’s team not from Waupaca.
“Mandy, Bri and Tina will be some big holes to fill,” Guyer said. “Some other people will have to get better and they will. We knew we’d be more competitive (this season), we just didn’t know much better.”
Girls Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association All-State Teams
First Team
Forward: Courtney Wittig, senior, Bay Area; Nicole Unsworth, sophomore, University School of Milwaukee co-op; Katie Detert, junior, Northern Edge; Mandy Tomlinson, senior, Waupaca Area; Kelly Knetter, senior, Central Wisconsin; Ally Fox, junior, Fox Cities.
Defender: Jacyn Reeves, senior, Onalaska co-op; Lauren Smith, senior, Northern Edge; Maddie Rowe, junior, St. Croix Valley; Sloan Sullivan, senior, University School of Milwaukee co-op.
Goalie: Mackenzie Torpy, senior, Stoughton; Lindsey Strainis, senior, Bay Area; Erin Connolly, junior, Lakeshore Lightning.
Second Team
Forward: Abigail Snow, freshman, Eau Claire/Altoona; Anna Wilgren, freshman, Hudson; Emma Peterson, sophomore, Superior; Natalie West, senior, Appleton United; Amber Heidenreich, sophomore, Hayward co-op; Rose Revolinski, senior, University School of Milwaukee co-op.
Defender: Nicole Niemi, senior, Bay Area; Erika Vallier, senior, Tomahawk; Isabelle Uhl-Chmiel, senior, Central Wisconsin; Maegan Sheehan, senior, Metro Lynx.
Goalie: Erin Sparks, sophomore, Tomahawk; Liz Ostermeyer, sophomore, University School of Milwaukee co-op.
Honorable Mention
Forward: Nina Andersen, senior, University School of Milwaukee co-op; Markie Ash, freshman, Waupaca Area; Rachal Pawlak, senior, Badger Thunder; Jenna Curtis, sophomore, Hayward co-op; Madeline Spangenberg, senior, Hayward co-op; Cali Sanborn, senior, Northland Pines; Amanda Sergent, sophomore, Northern Pines; Chazlyn Anderson, junior, Onalaska co-op.
Defender: Morgan Zirbel, sophomore, Bay Area; Bobbie Schultz, senior, Eau Claire/Altoona; Ali Takkunen, senior, Hudson; Morgan Larson, senior, Marshfield.
Goalie: Lauren Tremblay, sophomore, Hayward co-op; Skylar Dannhoff, sophomore, Onalaska co-op.
Player of the year (Miss Hockey Wisconsin): Mackenzie Torpy, Stoughton.
Coach of the year: Tim Guyer, Waupaca Area.