Junior forward Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn./University of Minnesota); junior forward Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass./Boston College) and senior forward Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Boston University) have been named top-three finalists for the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, it was announced today by USA Hockey.
Forward • Vadnais Heights, Minn.
University of Minnesota • Junior
Hannah Brandt was second in the nation in both points (67) and goals (31), third in assists (36), and led the country in in plus/minus (+65), heading into the NCAA tournament ... This season, she became only the seventh Gopher and 25th NCAA player to ever surpass 200 career points ... During conference play, the three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, led all WCHA skaters in points (50), goals (21), assists (29), points per game (1.85) and faceoff percentage (.657) ... Helped lead the Gophers to a WCHA-best, 22-2-4 record ... Off the ice, has been involved with Hope Kids, the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Windom Area Youth Hockey and Special Olympics Minnesota ... Also volunteers her time to Gophers Strike Out Cancer, Feed My Starving Children, the Maplewood Care Center, as well as various local youth hockey associations.
Forward • North Reading, Mass.
Boston College • Junior
Was leading the nation in almost every offensive category entering the NCAA tournament and had done so for almost the entirety of the season ... Is looking to become the first player from Boston College to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ... Coming into the NCAA tournament, led the nation in points (75), goals (33) assists (42) and points per game (2.27) ... Eight of her 33 goals were game winners, which co-led the nation in that category, as well as contributed to her team’s NCAA-best 32-1-2 regular-season record ... Also won 466 of 680 draws to give her a nation-leading .685 faceoff percentage ... In conference play, led all players in points (41) and assists (21) ... Also set career highs and broke program records, including surpassing her own record for most single-season points (70) in Boston College history ... Away from the rink, has volunteered with Team IMPACT and Athletes Unlimited Newton.
Forward • Beauceville, Que.
Boston University • Senior
Is vying to become Boston University’s first Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient ... Heading into the NCAA tournament, ranked among the top 10 nationally in points, goals, assists, points per game and faceoff percentage ... The Boston University captain ranked seventh nationally in points (47), points per game (1.62) and faceoff percentage (0.625) ... Also ranked eighth in goals (22) and ninth in assists (25) ... In conference play, she finished within the top 10 in points (26), points per game (1.53), goals (11), assists (15), faceoff percentage (.644) and game-winning goals (three) ... Off the ice, was part of Boston University Athletics’ annual holiday reading program and participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Boston, as well as helped fundraise as part of the Hockey East Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative.
The 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a brunch ceremony at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sat., March 21, as part of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four weekend hosted by the University of Minnesota. The award, which is in its 18th year, is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey.
The selection process commenced in early February when NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by two or more coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was sent back to the coaches to vote for the top-10 finalists.
The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2015 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 a representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.
Tickets to the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased here. Individual seats to the event are $65, while tables of 10 are available for $600. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is supported, in part, by a grant from the NHL Foundation. For more information about Patty Kazmaier and the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, please visit PattyKaz.com.
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 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.
Year | Name | School | Position | Hometown |
---|---|---|---|---|
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 | Goaltender | 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 | Defenseman | 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 | Goaltender | Racine, Wis. |
1999 | A.J. Mleczko | Harvard University | Forward | Nantucket, Mass. |
1998 | Brandy Fisher | University of New Hampshire | Forward | Potsdam, N.Y. |