Patty Kazmaier Award

ERIE, Pa. – Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), a senior forward from the University of Wisconsin, was today named the recipient of the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. In its 14th year, the award is presented annually by The USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.

Duggan received the award today during a sold-out brunch ceremony at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pa., with more than 400 attendees present. She was chosen from a group of three finalists that also included senior forwards Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont./Mercyhurst College) and Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio/Boston College).

"Meghan is probably the best two-way player, not only in the country, but in the world," said Mark Johnson, head coach at the University of Wisconsin. "One of the reasons we're in the position we're in right now is because of her leadership and what she does on the ice, and probably more importantly, what she does off the ice."

Amidst a standout senior season, Duggan was near the top of the NCAA leaderboard in all offensive categories and recently led the Badgers as team captain to the NCAA national championship game.

 

Duggan, who was named an NCAA First-Team All-American, also helped guide Wisconsin to the WCHA regular-season and tournament championships. During Friday night's 3-2 win over Boston College in the Frozen Four, Duggan broke Wisconsin's record for points in a single season with 86, which also places her tied for first in the nation.

Through the semifinals, she was ranked fourth nationally in goals (39), second in assists (47), was tied for second in power-play goals (11) and was tied for third in the country with three shorthanded goals. In addition, Duggan had six game-winning goals and 27 multi-point games, including nine multi-goal games.

During the season, Duggan recorded 57 points during a Wisconsin program-best 25-game point streak (Oct. 22-Feb. 4). She reached several other Wisconsin and NCAA milestones throughout the 2010-11 season, becoming the seventh player all-time and first Wisconsin player to reach both 100 goals and 100 assists. Duggan also became the 13th player all-time and second Wisconsin player to reach 200 career points.

Through the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, Duggan has led the University of Wisconsin in all-time career points with 237 and is currently tied for fifth in NCAA history. Additionally, she is tied for sixth in NCAA history with 106 career goals.

In Western Collegiate Hockey Association play, Duggan was named WCHA Player of the Year and earned All-WCHA First Team honors. She led the league with 61 points, 34 assists and 20 power-play points (9-11), and ranked second with 27 goals. A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, Duggan won the league’s regular-season scoring trophy with 61 points (27-34) in 28 games.

Off the ice, the 2010 U.S. Olympic silver medalist volunteers at the University of Wisconsin Kids Clinic and the Ronald McDonald House and Children's Hospital. She has also volunteered with Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.

NOTES: Meghan Duggan is the third Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient from the University of Wisconsin. Sara Bauer won the award in 2006 and Jessie Vetter was named the recipient in 2009 … Duggan is the fourth WCHA player to receive the award ... The 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award brunch, presented by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, was held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four, which will conclude tomorrow (March 20) with the national championship game between Boston University and the University of Wisconsin at 2 p.m. EDT at Tullio Arena in downtown Erie. The game will be broadcast live on NCAA.com... Mike Ruzzi, sports director at WICU-TV (NBC) in Erie, Pa. served as the event's master of ceremonies, while Laura Halldorson, who led the University of Minnesota women's ice hockey team to three NCAA Division I national championships as head coach, delivered the keynote address ... The award ceremony was streamed live at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com... The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient is chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States … The Kazmaier Award is supported in part by a grant from the National Hockey League Foundation ... For more information on the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, visit PattyKaz.com.

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is supported, in part, by a grant from the NHL Foundation.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.