2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 Finalists Named
Eight forwards, one defender and one goaltender among honorees
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 10 finalists for the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award were announced today by The USA Hockey Foundation.
The honor, which was first presented in 1998, is awarded annually to the top play in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey by The USA Hockey Foundation.
The finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
NAME POSITION YEAR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
Izzy Daniel Forward Senior Cornell University Minneapolis, Minn.
Sarah Fillier Forward Senior Princeton University Georgetown, Ont.
Caroline Harvey Defender Sophomore University of Wisconsin Salem, N.H.
Abby Hustler Forward Junior St. Lawrence University St. Louis, P.E.I.
Tessa Janecke Forward Sophomore Penn State University Orangeville, Ill.
Abbey Murphy Forward Junior University of Minnesota Evergreen Park, Ill.
Casey O’Brien Forward Senior University of Wisconsin Milton, Mass.
Gwyneth Philips Goaltender Fifth Year Northeastern University Athens, Ohio
Danielle Serdachny Forward Fifth Year Colgate University Edmonton, Alb.
Kirsten Simms Forward Sophomore University of Wisconsin Plymouth, Mich.
NOTES: Among the top-10 finalists are eight forwards, one defender and one goaltender… The University of Wisconsin leads the way with three top-10 finalists, while Colgate University, Cornell University, Northeastern University, Penn State University, Princeton University, St. Lawrence University and University of Minnesota have one finalist each … The top-three finalists are expected to be announced on Wednesday, March 13, with the winner being revealed on March 23 as the highlight of Saturday at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four in Durham, N.H.
SELECTION PROCESS
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 multiple coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was returned to the coaches to vote for the ten finalists. The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, will be 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.
SATURDAY AT THE NCAA WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR
The 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Show will be broadcast live from the Whittemore Center Arena Lobby, in Durham, N.H., as part of Saturday at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. Fans are encouraged to attend with doors opening at 12 p.m. ET and the live 30-minute television show beginning promptly at 12:30 p.m. ET. The three finalists will be on hand, in addition to Frozen Four team participants, as the 27th winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be revealed. The event is free of charge. Following the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Show, fans will have a chance to get autographs from Olympic gold medalist Kacey Bellamy and the first-ever Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winner, Brandy Fisher. For more information, click HERE.
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. 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.
For more information contact Melissa Katz ([email protected]/908.208.2146)