Aurora University’s Matson Named Player of the Year as NCHA Releases All-League Honors and Awards
The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Women’s Conference announced its 2022-23 season award winners today, including Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, the All-Conference Team, and the All-Freshmen Team.
The 2022-23 Player of the Year is Darci Matson, a sophomore forward at Aurora University. The Wasilla, Alaska, native not only paced the conference in scoring from start to finish, but also leads the NCAA Division III level in total points (31G/32A-63 points), points-per-game (2.42; second is 1.81), and assists (32), while sitting second in goals (31; leader has 32) and tied for second in game-winning goals (7; leader has 8).
“Darci is truly a one-of-a-kind player,” Aurora University head coach Jackie Kooistra said. “She can play in any position and in any situation. Her work ethic and compete level is contagious. Darci is also a team-first kind of athlete. Everything she does is for the betterment and advancement of this team. With her older sister being on the inaugural AU team, Darci strives to continue the legacy they have built.”
One year after earning NCHA Freshman of the Year accolades, Matson becomes the first sophomore to claim Player of the Year status in the NCHA since the 2018-19 season.
“The creativity she demonstrates, it’s absolutely amazing,” Kooistra said. “It would be a disservice of me to stifle that, so I encourage her and also give her and her teammates platforms to come up with plays. This really keeps the creativity flowing and keeps the game fun!”
Matson really left an impression in NCHA-only action, ending the regular season at the top of all of the offensive leaderboards. In league play, Matson put together an 19-20-39 statline that gave her the top point, goal, and assist numbers league-wide this winter.
“Darci is not the first Matson to skate in the AU Blue,” Kooistra said. “Following in her big sister Olivia’s (17G-59A=76 points in 109 games from 2017-22 at Aurora) footsteps, Darci is continuing a legacy of creativity, playmaking, and scoring. When you think of the name Matson here at AU, you think of FAMILY first and then extreme talent. Coming from a big family, Darci is always crediting all of her achievements and success to her mom, dad, and brothers and sisters.”
Matson is the first Spartan to earn league player of the year honors since the program joined the NCHA for the 2017-18 campaign.
“As a person Darci is extremely humble,” Kooistra said. “While topping the leaderboard in all of NCAA she still doubles as our team's equipment manager and does the team laundry. You will not find a more deserving athlete for this amazing honor. Hockey is in her blood, and this young woman is an amazing athlete and an even better person. I cannot say enough good things about this extraordinary athlete. We are lucky to call her family!”
The league coaches also voted for Freshman of the Year, seeing Makayla Spejcher of Concordia University Wisconsin earn the distinction. The newcomer put together an impressive campaign, finishing tied for eighth in overall points (15G-12A-27 in 27 games), while compiling 21 points (10-11-21) in league play to rank fifth in scoring in NCHA-only action. She was also named to the All-League squad – the only freshman to make that cut this season.
The 2022-23 Coach of the Year is St. Norbert College’s A.J. Aitken, the first of his career. One year after leading his team to a school-record 20 victories, Aitken is one win away from tying that mark again, sitting at 19-5-3 overall including a 13-2-1 ledger in NCHA play that saw the team finish second and playing for the regular-season title until the final weekend. The team has been ranked for numerous weeks in the USCHO.com National Top 15 and currently sits at No. 14.
Adrian College, the regular-season champs at 24-3-0 overall and 14-2-0 in league play, led the way in the postseason honors with five players earning all-league accolades and a sixth earning a spot on the All-Freshman squad. All five named are being selected for multiple appearances in their career, including Jessica VovRuden, who is picking up the third All-League nod of her time with the Bulldogs (also 2021 and 2020). VonRuden finished third in league play with 33 points (21G/12A) and tops with 21 goals. Her 46 points (27G/19A) was second in overall games.
Une Bjelland (second with 34 points in NCHA play; 15G/19A) was also an all-league choice in 2021, as were a pair of players from a defense that allowed just 22 goals in 27 games, good for second in the NCAA with its 0.81 goals-against average: Maya Roy (second in NCHA play with 4-13-17) and Kathryn Truban (led NCHA defenders with 8-13-21). Goalie Sophie Goldberg repeats after putting together one of the best statistical campaigns across all games this season – currently sitting second in the nation with her 0.85 goals-against average, fourth with her .955 save percentage, and first in the country with 10 shutouts. She went 3-1 in four starts against No. 4 Plattsburgh State, No. 5 Norwich, and No. 13 Augsburg, posting a pair of shutouts. She was nearly as good in NCHA action, recording a 1.10 GAA and .939 save percentage. AC rounds out its list of award winners with Tia Lascelle on the frosh squad after finishing 14th overall with 25 points (9G/16A), with 16 of those (6G/10A) coming in league play.
Second-seeded St. Norbert College had three players who all earned NCHA All-League honors, two for the first time in their careers. Those two came on offense in Natalie Hogan and Kelsey Ross, while a third was on defense in Ava Jaschke, a repeat selection from 2022.
Hogan finished fourth in overall points with 32 (15G/17A) and was also fourth in league play, tallying a 10-15-25 line. Ross was 14th overall, adding 25 points (13G/12A), with 19 of them (9G/10A) coming in conference action. Joining that trio was a pair of All-Freshman selections in Bailey Brunnhoelzl (11-8-19 in 27 games overall) on offense and Grace Wittkopf on defense.
Third-seeded Aurora University added one more choice to the top squad. In addition to Matson, Ava Eid was chosen on defense. The Spartans enter the weekend with an overall record of 21-4-1 and are ranked No. 15 in the USCHO.com Top 15 this week.
Emily Reimche from Concordia University Wisconsin joined Freshman of the Year Makayla Spejcher on the All-League squad, marking a repeat selection for the senior forward. Reimche finished league play with 13 points (3G/10A).
Lake Forest College’s Hannah Turnage repeated as an all-league choice, seeing more action overall than any other NCHA backstop with 25 games played. She posted a 1.58 goals-against average and was second with a .947 save percentage. A second Forester was selected, with Willow Poppleton grabbing a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
The final All-League selection belongs to Marian University’s Kayla Kolpitcke in goal. Kolpitcke posted a 2.55 GAA and .925 save percentage on the season for the Sabres. The final All-Freshman honoree is goalie Casey Frank from Trine University, who took over as the regular starter in January.
2022-23 Women’s NCHA All-Conference Team (alphabetical)
Forward: Une Bjelland (Sr./Stavanger, Norway), Adrian College
*2021 All-League
Forward: Natalie Hogan (So./Hoffman Estates, Ill.), St. Norbert College
Forward: Darci Matson (So./ Wasilla, Ak.), Aurora University
*2022 All-League
Forward: Emily Reimche (Sr./Billings, Mont.), Concordia University Wisconsin
*2022 All-League
Forward: Kelsey Ross (So./Littleton, Colo.), St. Norbert College
Forward: Makayla Spejcher (Fr./Green Bay, Wis.), Concordia University Wisconsin
Forward: Jessica VonRuden (Gr./Owatonna, Minn.), Adrian College
*2021 All-League | *2020 All-League
Defense: Ava Eid (Jr./ Belle River, Ontario), Aurora University
Defense: Ava Jaschke (Sr./Katy, Texas), St. Norbert College
*2022 All-League
Defense: Maya Roy (Jr./Clarkston, Mich.), Adrian College
*2022 All-League
Defense: Kathryn Truban (Jr./Hamilton, N.J.), Adrian College
*2021 All-League
Goalie: Sophie Goldberg (Sr./Newtown, Pa.), Adrian College
*2022 All-League
Goalie: Kayla Kolpitcke (Jr./Powell, Wyo.), Marian University
Goalie: Hannah Turnage (Sr./White Lake, Mich.), Lake Forest College
*2022 All-League
*Extra forward and goalie due to tie in voting
All-Freshman Team
F: Bailey Brunnhoelzl (Palmer, Alaska), St. Norbert College
F: Tia Lascelle (Cornwall, Ontario), Adrian College
F: Makayla Spejcher (Green Bay, Wis.), Concordia University Wisconsin
D: Willow Poppleton (Pickering, Ontario), Lake Forest College
D: Grace Wittkopf (Eagle, River, Wis.), St. Norbert College
G: Casey Frank (Cranberry Township, Pa.), Trine University
NCHA Player of the Year: Darci Matson, Aurora University
NCHA Freshman of the Year: Makayla Spejcher, Concordia University Wisconsin
NCHA Coach of the Year: A.J. Aitken, St. Norbert College