Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL's Billie Jean King MVP award
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the Professional Women's Hockey League's Billie Jean King MVP Award for the 2024-25 season.
Poulin, who was also named forward of the year, was presented the awards at a ceremony Wednesday in Ottawa.
The 34-year-old Poulin led the league with 19 goals and finished fourth with 26 points in 30 games.
Poulin was also a finalist for the MVP and top forward awards in the inaugural 2024 PWHL season. Both awards were won by Toronto's Natalie Spooner.
The awards capped another year of major achievements for Poulin, who was named the IIHF's Female Player of the Year earlier this month after taking MVP honors at the women's world championship in April with a tournament-leading 12 points (four goals, eight assists).
Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight (now with Seattle) were the other MVP finalists, while Knight and New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier were up for forward of the year.
Fast and Fillier did not leave empty-handed. Fast took home defender of the year honors while Fillier was named the league's top rookie.
The 30-year-old Fast tied for first in scoring among defenders with 22 points in 30 games, led the league with 63 hits and led all skaters with an average of 24 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game.
Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson of the PWHL champion Minnesota Frost (both now with Vancouver) were the other finalists.
Fillier, 25, tied for the league lead with 29 points in 30 games and led the league with five power-play goals.
Montreal forward Jenn Gardiner (now with Vancouver) and Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips also were finalists.
Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens took goaltender of the year honors. The 31-year-old led all goalies with 15 wins and her 1.86 goals-against average and .932 save percentage were top marks among all starters.
Philips and Boston's Aerin Frankel also were finalists.
Montreal's Kori Cheverie won coach of the year after leading the Victoire to first place in the PWHL standings with a 12-7-3-8 record. Ottawa's Carla MacLeod and Toronto's Troy Ryan, who won the award last year, were also in the running.
Victoire forward Laura Stacey won the Hockey For All Award given to the player 'who made the greatest impact in their community.'
Poulin, Fillier, Knight, Fast, Jaques and Desbiens were named to the league's first all-star team.
Minnesota's Kendall Coyne Schofield, Ottawa's Tereza Vanisova (now Vancouver), Toronto's Daryl Watts, New York's Ella Shelton (now Toronto), Thompson and Frankel were named to the second all-star team.
Fillier, Gardiner, Minnesota's Britta Curl-Salemme, Montreal's Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren (both now with Seattle) and Philips made up the all-rookie squad.
___
AP women's hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Milan Iloski scores four, expansion side San Diego FC trounce Whitecaps 5-3
VANCOUVER — Milan Iloski scored four goals and San Diego FC vaulted to the top of Major League Soccer's Western Conference with a dominant 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. Iloski, making his first MLS start, notched a hat trick in the first half, then added another tally in the 47th minute. Tomas Angel also had a goal for expansion side San Diego (11-5-3) in the 90th minute. Edier Ocampo, Mathias Laborda and Antoine Coupland — making his MLS debut — replied for the 'Caps (10-3-5). Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. San Diego controlled 51.3 per cent possession and held a 8-5 edge in on-target shots across the game. It was a rare off-night for Vancouver's usually staunch defence, which came in having conceded a league-low 152 shots across the first half of the season. With the loss, the Whitecaps slipped to the No. 2 spot in the league's Western Conference standings, one point behind San Diego. The home side fell behind in the 35th minute on Wednesday and couldn't battle its way back into the game. Whitecaps 'keeper Yohei Takaoka stopped Iloski's blast in the 35th minute, but the rebound popped back out to the American striker and he fired it in before the netminder could get back in position. Two minutes later, the visitors struck again. Alejandro Alvarado appeared to shove Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic to the turf, then dished off to Iloski, who sprinted into the penalty area and put another ball past Takaoka for his second goal of the night. Officials conducted a video review of the play before determining the goal would stand. The 'Caps gained some momentum late in the half off a corner from Pedro Vite. The midfielder swung a ball in and it bounced around until Ocampo collected it outside the six-yard box and fired a left-footed shot in for his first MLS goal. San Diego wasted no time in retaliating. Danish midfielder Anders Dreyer crossed a ball in to Iloski in the 44th minute and Iloski sent a header screaming in to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. The visitors controlled 50.3 per cent possession through the first half, outshot Vancouver 9-7 and held a 6-2 edge in on-target shots. Trouble continued early in the second half. Dreyer passed off to Iloski, who steamed toward the net and fired another shot in, making it 4-1 with his fourth goal of the night. Heading into Wednesday's game, the 25-year-old had five MLS goals on the season. The Whitecaps cut into the deficit in the 66th minute. Laborda, who came off the bench for Ralph Priso at halftime, collected a ball from Vite and chipped a sharp-angle shot up and over San Diego 'keeper CJ Dos Santos. Angel, who came on for the injured Alvarado in the 79th minute, slipped a shot past Takaoka in the 90th minute to make it 5-2. Coupland's goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the score at 5-3. The 21-year-old Canadian came on for Andres Cubas in the 87th minute, making his debut for the Whitecaps. Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that four Whitecaps players have been picked for the MLS all-star game. Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White will all make their all-star game debuts against LIGA MX all stars in Austin, Texas, on July 23. The Whitecaps return to play Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC. San Diego will face FC Dallas in Texas on Saturday.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Iloski scores club-record 4 goals, San Diego beats Vancouver, moves past ‘Caps atop conference
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Milan Iloski scored a club-record four goals, Anders Dreyer had three assists and San Diego FC beat Vancouver 5-2 on Wednesday night to move past the Whitecaps into first in the Western Conference. Iloski is the third player this season (Vancouver's Brian White and Nashville's Sam Surridge) and the 20th in MLS history to score at least four goals in a game. San Diego (11-5-3) has won seven of nine with just one loss in that span and has 36 points, four behind Philadelphia — the points leaders in all of MLS — and one ahead of Vancouver. Vancouver (10-3-5) has lost back-to-back games following an 11-game unbeaten streak. Tomás Ángel scored for San Diego in the 90th minute. Iloski's shot from the edge of the box was parried by goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka but Iloski calmly tapped in the one-touch putback from the left side of the area that slipped inside the near post in the 35th minute and then scored on the counter-attack in the 37th to make it 2-0. Édier Ocampo scored his first career goal in MLS in the 43rd, a first-touch shot off a misplayed ball by San Diego defender Oscar Verhoeven. Dreyer played an arcing ball-in from the right side to the center of the area, where Iloski scored on a diving header in the 44th minute for the first hat trick in club history and then ran onto a ball played ahead by Dreyer and beat Takaoka one on one to make it 4-1 in the 47th. Mathias Laborda cut Vancouver's deficit to 4-2 in the 66th minute and Antoine Coupland, who made his MLS debut when he subbed on in the 87th minute, capped the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Iloski scores four, expansion side San Diego FC trounce Vancouver Whitecaps 5-3
VANCOUVER – Milan Iloski scored four goals and San Diego FC vaulted to the top of Major League Soccer's Western Conference with a dominant 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. Iloski, making his first MLS start, notched a hat trick in the first half, then added another tally in the 47th minute. Tomas Angel also had a goal for expansion side San Diego (11-5-3) in the 90th minute. Edier Ocampo, Mathias Laborda and Antoine Coupland — making his MLS debut — replied for the 'Caps (10-3-5). San Diego controlled 51.3 per cent possession and held a 8-5 edge in on-target shots across the game. It was a rare off-night for Vancouver's usually staunch defence, which came in having conceded a league-low 152 shots across the first half of the season. With the loss, the Whitecaps slipped to the No. 2 spot in the league's Western Conference standings, one point behind San Diego. The home side fell behind in the 35th minute on Wednesday and couldn't battle its way back into the game. Whitecaps 'keeper Yohei Takaoka stopped Iloski's blast in the 35th minute, but the rebound popped back out to the American striker and he fired it in before the netminder could get back in position. Two minutes later, the visitors struck again. Alejandro Alvarado appeared to shove Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic to the turf, then dished off to Iloski, who sprinted into the penalty area and put another ball past Takaoka for his second goal of the night. Officials conducted a video review of the play before determining the goal would stand. The 'Caps gained some momentum late in the half off a corner from Pedro Vite. The midfielder swung a ball in and it bounced around until Ocampo collected it outside the six-yard box and fired a left-footed shot in for his first MLS goal. San Diego wasted no time in retaliating. Danish midfielder Anders Dreyer crossed a ball in to Iloski in the 44th minute and Iloski sent a header screaming in to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. The visitors controlled 50.3 per cent possession through the first half, outshot Vancouver 9-7 and held a 6-2 edge in on-target shots. Trouble continued early in the second half. Dreyer passed off to Iloski, who steamed toward the net and fired another shot in, making it 4-1 with his fourth goal of the night. Heading into Wednesday's game, the 25-year-old had five MLS goals on the season. The Whitecaps cut into the deficit in the 66th minute. Laborda, who came off the bench for Ralph Priso at halftime, collected a ball from Vite and chipped a sharp-angle shot up and over San Diego 'keeper CJ Dos Santos. Angel, who came on for the injured Alvarado in the 79th minute, slipped a shot past Takaoka in the 90th minute to make it 5-2. Coupland's goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the score at 5-3. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The 21-year-old Canadian came on for Andres Cubas in the 87th minute, making his debut for the Whitecaps. Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that four Whitecaps players have been picked for the MLS all-star game. Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White will all make their all-star game debuts against LIGA MX all stars in Austin, Texas, on July 23. The Whitecaps return to play Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC. San Diego will face FC Dallas in Texas on Saturday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
