Patty Kazmaier Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Hockey Foundation announced today that Aerin Frankel (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Northeastern University), Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ontario/University of Wisconsin) and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn./University of Minnesota) have been named as the top-three finalists for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

For more information about each finalist, click here.

Leads the nation in goals against average (0.71), save percentage (.969) and shutouts (9) … Ranks first in the NCAA in goalie winning percentage (.929) … Led the HEA in goals against average (0.65), save percentage (.971), goalie winning percentage (.912) … NCAA Goaltender of the Month (Jan.) … Hockey East Player of the Year and Hockey East Goaltender of the Year … Two-time Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 1, Feb. 22) … Four-time Hockey East Player of the Week (Jan. 5, Feb. 8, March 1, March 8) … Two-time Hockey East Goaltender of the Month (Jan., Feb.) … Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association National Goaltender of the Month (Jan.) … Volunteered with Westchester Vipers and the IronBound Girls Youth Hockey Association.

Ranks first in the nation in points per game (1.79) and goals per game (0.89) … Tied for first in the NCAA in goals (17) … Ranks second nationally in points (34) … Tied for second in the NCAA and for first in the WCHA in game-winning goals (4) … … Ranks fifth in the NCAA in assists (17) and assists per game (0.89) … Led the WCHA in points (31), points per game (1.94), goals per game (0.94), assists (16) and assists per game (1.00) … Ranked second in the WCHA in goals (15) …Tied for second in the WCHA in power-play points (4) … Tied for eighth in the WCHA in power-play goals (1) … Named WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Offensive Player of the Year … NCAA Player of the Month (Jan.) … Named Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association Player of the Month and WCHA Forward of the Month (Jan.) … Three-time WCHA Forward of the Week (Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9) … WCHA Preseason Player of the Year … Volunteered with Pen Pal Field Trip Skating, Wisconsin Shoe Project, Badgers Give Back and local food bank drives … Assisted her elderly neighbors by shoveling their driveways … Currently sponsors a child through Save the Children.

Tied for first in the NCAA in goals (17) …  Ranks second in the nation in goals per game (0.85) … Tied for second nationally and for first in the WCHA in game-winning goals (4) … Ranks eighth in the nation in points (24) … Tied for 13th in the NCAA in points per game (1.20) … Led the WCHA in goals (16) … Ranked second in the WCHA in points (23) and goals per game (0.84) … Tied for second in the WCHA in power play goals (2) … Ranked fifth in the WCHA in points per game (1.21) … Tied for sixth in the WCHA in power-play points (3) … Tied for 14th in the WCHA in assists (7) … Two-time WCHA Forward of the Month (Nov., Feb.) … Two-time WCHA Forward of the Week (Nov. 24, Feb. 19) … Volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, Special Olympics Minnesota and the St. Hubert Catholic Church … Participated in the Hope Kids’ Hope Day Festival and Skate with the Gophers … Spends time coaching youth hockey, and with other volunteer opportunities through Golden Gopher Fund and Gopher athletics.

AND THE WINNER IS ....

The 24th winner of the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be revealed on Saturday, March 27, as part of a special broadcast on NHL Network. Jackie Redmond will serve as host and all 10 award finalists will be featured.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process commenced late February when NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by multiple coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was sent back to the coaches to vote for the top-10 finalists. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.

The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, were then chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media, an at-large member and representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.