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Gophers defenseman Sydney Baldwin, a senior co-captain from Minnetonka, was named the WCHA's player of the year Tuesday.

Baldwin tied for third in the conference in scoring with nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in WCHA games and led the league with 76 blocked shots. She has 32 points overall, tied for second among Division I blue-liners.

"She is an incredible skater in all three zones with strong puck skills and an incredible shot," Gophers coach Brad Frost said, "and she finds ways to shut down our opponents' best players while at the same time being one of our strongest offensive threats."