Patty Kazmaier Award

An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. The 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner will be announced on March 23 in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four in Durham, New Hampshire. The 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Show will be broadcast live from the Whittemore Center Arena Lobby beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network.

“To go through the process and have support from my teammates and coaches was incredible,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to go down for the ceremony and watch Sophie win the award, which was super deserving. It was pretty surreal to be nominated as one of the top contenders for the award.”

Serdachny eclipsed the 50-point plateau for the third consecutive season this year, as she’s tied for third in the NCAA with 61 points and tied for second with 39 assists.

In November, Serdachny enjoyed a four-point night against Harvard and became the first player in program history to record 200 career points. She currently has 82 goals and 239 points in 178 career games.

“You’re never striving to hit a certain amount of points, goals or assists,” she said. “But it speaks to the incredible teammates that I have, whether they’re putting the puck in the net, or making a great play to me. Obviously, 200 points is special, but a lot of that, you have to give credit to my teammates for helping me accomplish that.”

Serdachny has had success at Colgate since her first season in 2019-20, as she’s earned All-ECAC honors in each of her five seasons. She is a three-time All-ECAC First Team pick and two-time conference Player of the Year, in addition to a Second Team selection in 2021-22 and the league’s All-Rookie Team in her first season.

“It speaks to the girls in our program,” Serdachny said. “Coming in as a freshman, we didn’t have the best team, but as the years have gone on, our program and culture has continued to grow. Having teammates and coaches that care, who are willing to push you and make you better every day helps to my consistency.”

It has also paid off for Colgate. The Raiders won their fourth consecutive ECAC Championship with a home shutout victory against Clarkson on March 9. Colgate is the second team in league history to claim four consecutive league championships and the first in nearly 30 years.

“When you get a taste of what you can accomplish individually and as a team, it definitely increases your motivation,” Serdachny said. “That’s how I felt. It’s how you stay hungry every year. We’ve done a lot and I’ve continued to grow and build as the years have gone on, but there’s more we want to accomplish as a group.”

Colgate earned a No. 3 seed in the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Hockey Tournament and the Raiders will be in action during the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Last season, Colgate lost in the quarterfinals to Wisconsin, the eventual national champion. That loss still resonates with Serdachny.

“Pretty much everybody’s goal when they enter the season is to win the national championship,” she said. “The past few years, especially falling short in the NCAA quarterfinals keeps the motivation high. Coming into your final season, you have those expectations, and the motivation is probably higher. We have our eyes set on something bigger and knowing this is our last show keeps us motivated and inspired for each other.”

Regardless of how the postseason turns out for Serdachny and the Raiders, she has her sights set on playing in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League next season.

“As a kid, you dream of playing hockey as long as you can and that’s where I’m at in this point of my life,” Serdachny said. “Hockey is a big part of who I am, and I love coming to the rink every day and making memories. When you’re younger, you don’t imagine having hockey as a job, especially as a female, but now that it’s a reality, it would be a dream come true.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.