Patty Kazmaier Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Izzy Daniel (Minneapolis, Minn./Cornell University), Casey O’Brien (Milton, Mass./University of Wisconsin) and Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Mich./University of Wisconsin) have been named the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-Three Finalists it was announced today by The USA Hockey Foundation.

The winner of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be announced on Saturday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET as part of a live show on NHL Network at the Whittemore Center Arena on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.

The live show is free and open to the public and is part of Saturday at the Women’s Frozen Four. Doors open at 12 p.m. ET. After the show, fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from Olympic gold medalist, Kacey Bellamy and the first-ever recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, Brandy Fisher.

NOTES: For the first time since 2004 (Angela Ruggiero, Chanda Gunn, Jenny Potter) and fourth time overall (2004, 2000, 1999, 1998), all top-three finalists are American . . . All three finalists are forwards… The University of Wisconsin has two top-three finalists to mark the first time since the University of Minnesota had all three finalists in 2013 that a school has multiple top-three finalists. 

Named ECAC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year… Earned First Team All-ECAC honors… Ranks second in the NCAA and leads the ECAC in assists per game with 1.09… Ranks third in the NCAA and leads the ECAC in points per game with 1.72… Tied for seventh in the NCAA with 55 points (20G, 35A) in 32 games… Ranks sixth in the NCAA in assists… Ranks ninth in the NCAA in goals per game with 0.62… Named ECAC Forward of the Week on three occasions (Oct. 17, Oct. 24, Nov. 14)… Named HCA National Forward of the Month for November… Raised awareness for mental health by helping fundraise for the Do It For Daron campaign… Volunteers for Feed My Starving Children… Participated in the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Family program… Volunteers for Toys for Tots… Volunteers as a Big Sister for Cub Club

Earned First-Team All-WCHA Honors… Ranks second in the NCAA with 69 points (22G, 47A) in 38 games… Leads the NCAA in assists with 47… Leads the NCAA in assists per game (1.24)… Ranks second in the NCAA in points per game (1.82)… Tied for eighth in the NCAA with 22 goals… Ranks fifth in the NCAA and second in the WCHA in faceoff wins with 466… Named WCHA Forward of the Month for January … Named WCHA Forward of the Week on two occasions (Jan. 15, Jan. 22) … Named to the WCHA All-Tournament Team … Volunteers at local schools to promote sports education… Volunteers at local elementary schools and engages students in activities to promote literacy… Visits American Family Children’s Hospital patients at Badger football games… Volunteered for the Badgers’ Thanksgiving Food Drive… Volunteers for and helps coach Special Olympics

Named WCHA Player of the Year and Forward of the Year… Named First-Team All-WCHA… Leads the NCAA with 71 points (32G, 39A) in 36 games… Leads the NCAA with 1.97 points per game… Tied for second in the NCAA in game-winning goals with seven… Ranks second in the NCAA with 32 goals… Tied for second in the NCAA in assists with 39… Ranks third in the NCAA in assists per game (1.08)… Ranks second in the NCAA in goals per game (0.89)… Named to the  WCHA All-Tournament Team… Named WCHA Forward of the Week for Dec. 11… Volunteers for and helps coach Special Olympics… Teaches skating to elementary school students… Volunteered for the Badgers’ Thanksgiving Food Drive… Volunteers at local elementary schools and engages students in activities to promote literacy