Sophie Jaques Named 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winner

DULUTH, Minn. – Ohio State University defender Sophie Jaques (Toronto, Ont.) was named the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient today before an enthusiastic crowd at Amsoil Arena. The event was broadcast live on NHL Network.

Jaques is the first Ohio State player to win the award, which is presented annually by the USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.

Just the second blueliner to capture the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award since it was established in 1998, Jacques has helped the Buckeyes to a 33-5-2 record and a spot in tomorrow’s NCAA national championship game.

"This is so special," Jaques said. "I’m so grateful to have all my teammates here and everyone here and the parents as well. I couldn’t have imagined it another way and I’m just so happy that this is how it turned out.”

A 2022-23 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I All-American, she enters tomorrow’s final game of the season topping all defenders in the NCAA in points (48), goals (24), power-play goals (9) and points per game (1.23) in 40 games played.

Named the WCHA Player of the Year, Jaques led defenders and finished fifth among all players in conference play with points 35 points and 17 goals. She also took home WCHA Defender of the Year honors and was named to the All-WCHA First Team.

Off the ice, Jaques is pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering through a two-year fellowship program and holds a 3.88 GPA. She was named a WCHA Scholar Athlete and to the WCHA All-Academic Team.

Jaques serves as the vice president of SHEROS, a registered student-athlete organization at Ohio State that strives to provide a safe space for female student-athletes to promote diversity in sports. She also volunteers at The 2nd & 7 Foundation in Columbus, which promotes reading by providing free books and offering positive role models to kids in need.

Jaques was selected as the recipient of the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award from a group of three finalists that included graduate forward Alina Mueller of Northeastern University and Danielle Serdachy, a senior forward from Colgate University.

NOTES: Jaques is the 26th recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award… Jaques is the first Buckeye to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and only the second defender all-time, joining Angela Ruggiero (2004) … The recipient of the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media and an at-large member and representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

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. For a full list of previous honorees, click HERE.

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 Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

RECIPIENTS

Year	Name	School	Position	Hometown
2022	Taylor Heise	University of Minnesota	Forward	Lake City, Minn.
2021	Aerin Frankel	Northeastern University	Goalie	Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
2020	Elizabeth Giguere	Clarkson University	Forward	Quebec City, Que.
2019	Loren Gabel	Clarkson University	Forward	Kitchener, Ont.
2018	Daryl Watts	Boston College	Forward	Toronto, Ont.
2017	Ann-Renée Desbiens	University of Wisconsin	Goalie	La Malbaie, Que.
2016	Kendall Coyne	Northeastern University	Forward	Palos Heights, Ill.
2015	Alex Carpenter	Boston College	Forward	North Reading, Mass.
2014	Jamie Lee Rattray	Clarkson University	Forward	Kanata, Ont.
2013	Amanda Kessel	University of Minnesota	Forward	Madison, Wis.
2012	Brianna Decker	University of Wisconsin	Forward	Dousman, Wis.
2011	Meghan Duggan	University of Wisconsin	Forward	Danvers, Mass.
2010	Vicki Bendus	Mercyhurst College	Forward	Wasaga Beach, Ont.
2009	Jessie Vetter	University of Wisconsin	Goalie	Cottage Grove, Wis.
2008	Sarah Vaillancourt	Harvard University	Forward	Sherbrooke, Que.
2007	Julie Chu	Harvard University	Forward	Fairfield, Conn.
2006	Sara Bauer	University of Wisconsin	Forward	St. Catharines, Ont.
2005	Krissy Wendell	University of Minnesota	Forward	Brooklyn Park, Minn.
2004	Angela Ruggiero	Harvard University	Defender	Harper Woods, Mich.
2003	Jennifer Botterill	Harvard University	Forward	Winnipeg, Man.
2002	Brooke Whitney	Northeastern University	Forward	Snohomish, Wash.
2001	Jennifer Botterill	Harvard University	Forward	Winnipeg, Man.
2000	Ali Brewer	Brown University	Goalie	Racine, Wis.
1999	A.J. Mleczko	Harvard University	Forward	Nantucket, Mass.
1998	Brandy Fisher	University of New Hampshire	Forward	Potsdam, N.Y.