The USA Hockey Foundation Monday announced the top 10 candidates for the 2003 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. (See listing and bios below.) An award of the USA Hockey Foundation, Patty Kazmaier Award recognizes the most outstanding player in women’s college hockey each season.
This year the awards dinner, set for Saturday, March 22 at the Duluth (Minn.) Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC), will again be held in conjunction with the 2003 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four, to take place on March 21 and 23, also at the DECC.
The announcement was made by USA Hockey Foundation President Walter Bush and the Kazmaier executive committee which, in addition to Bush, includes Jim Erickson, Bob Fallen, Cammi Granato, Laura Halldorson, Julie Sasner and Ben Smith.
The 10 candidates represent seven different schools. Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth and Harvard each boast two. Of the 10 candidates, four are seniors, four are juniors, and two are freshmen. One of the candidates, Jennifer Botterill, won the award in 2001. In addition, Maria Rooth has now been named a finalist in each of the four years of her college career (2000-2003).
Earlier this year, the USA Hockey Foundation asked women’s Division I intercollegiate varsity ice hockey coaches to nominate up to two players from their team for Kazmaier Award. Those players were placed on an official ballot and sent to the coaches, who then voted for the top 10 finalists. The official ballots were tabulated by the nationally-respected accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
The finalists, as well as the recipient, will be chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of women’s college hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey.
Candidates for the award must compete for a women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey team at an NCAA-member institution. Other selection criteria include outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration will also be given to academic achievement and civic involvement.
The three finalists for the award will be announced March 10.
Individual dinner tickets are priced at $75.00 for adults and $50.00 for children under 12. Tickets, in addition to incremental levels of dinner sponsorship, may be purchased by calling The USA Hockey Foundation at (800) 566-3288, ext. 165. Individual tickets and sponsorship packages are tax-deductible.
Now in its sixth year, the award was first presented to forward Brandy Fisher (New Hampshire) in 1998. Other recipients include two-time U.S. Olympian A.J. Mleczko (Harvard) in 1999, goaltender Ali Brewer (Brown) in 2000, two-time Canadian Olympian Jennifer Botterill (Harvard) in 2001, and forward Brooke Whitney (Northeastern) in 2002.
The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman for the Princeton women’s team from 1981-82 through 1985-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-82 through 1983-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.
Finalist Profiles
Jennifer Botterill, Sr., F, Harvard (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Ranks second in the nation and leads the Crimson in scoring with 62 points (26-36) in 16 games. Leads the nation in goals and ranks second in assists. Leads the ECAC in conference scoring with 23 points (11-12) in five contests. Leads the league in goals and ranks second in assists. A three-time ECAC Player of the Week honoree. Is a Robert Stone Scholar at Harvard. Serves on the Faculty Advisory Board, is a participant in community skates and clinics, and serves as a motivational speaker in the community. Winner of the 2001 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Natalie Darwitz, Fr., F, Minnesota (Eagan, Minn.)
As a freshman, ranks third in the nation and leads the Golden Gophers in scoring with 52 points (24-28) in 21 games. Is the nation’s leading rookie scorer. Is tied for third nationally in goals scored and ranks fourth in assists. Her 32 conference points (12-20) in 13 games places her third in the WCHA. Ranks second in assists and seventh in goals in the league. Has earned WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors once and Rookie of the Week honors four times.
Chanda Gunn, Jr., G, Northeastern (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Ranks 11th in the nation with a 2.28 goals-against average. Holds a .929 save percentage, good for fourth-best in the nation. Her 1,266 minutes played places her seventh in the country. Has posted a 6-13-2 record. Ranks fifth in the Hockey East with a 2.52 goals-against average in conference contests. Ranks third in save percentage (.921) and first in minutes played (666:57). Has recorded one shutout in conference play. Was named Hockey East’s December Goaltender of the Month. Volunteers as a coach with the South Shore Kings girls’ hockey program. Contributes time to the Vista Care Hospice Program, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Campus Clean-up. Is an NYCA-certified coach specializing with disabled athletes and is a member of Northeastern’s club lacrosse team. Was a Top 10 Finalist for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Also one of five finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
Carly Haggard, Sr., F, Dartmouth (Port Alberni, British Columbia)
Leads the Big Green with 38 points (21-24) in 21 games, good for ninth-best in the nation. Her 24 goals tie her for third in the nation in goal-scoring. Is tied for sixth in the ECAC in conference scoring with 16 points (10-6) in 10 games. Ranks second in conference goal-scoring and is tied for 11th in assists. Has earned ECAC Player of the Week Honors once. Was one of the three finalists for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Kelli Halicisak, Jr., D, Providence (Grosse Ile, Mich.)
As a defenseman, ranks fourth on the Providence squad in overall scoring with 26 points (7-17) in 26 games. Her 13 conference points (3-10) in 11 games tie her for second in the Hockey East. Leads the Hockey East in assists. Is the league’s top-scoring defenseman in conference play. Her 17 overall assists are a team high, and she leads Providence defensemen in overall scoring and goals.
Andrea Kilbourne, Sr., F, Princeton (Saranac Lake, N.Y.)
Ranks 20th in the ECAC in conference scoring with eight points (5-3) in as many games. Leads the Princeton Tigers in both conference scoring and overall scoring with 19 points (7-12) in 20 games. Is tied for third in the nation in short-handed goals with two. Serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Princeton. Is a member of the Teacher Preparation Program and teaches a class of third-graders.
Jenny Potter, Jr., F, Minnesota-Duluth (Eagan, Minn.)
Leads the nation in overall scoring with 66 points (26-40) in 26 games. Ranks first in assists and is tied for first in goals scored. Also leads the nation in power-play goals with nine and in short-handed goals with four. Ranks first in the WCHA in conference scoring with 49 points (18-31) in 18 games. Leads the league in assists and power-play goals (8) and is tied for first in goals. A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honoree. Participates in Duluth Amateur Hockey clinics and Skate With the Bulldogs.
Maria Rooth, Sr., F, Minnesota-Duluth (Angelholm, Sweden)
Is tied for 12th in the nation in overall scoring with 32 points (11-21) in 20 games and is tied for eighth in assists. Is tied for ninth in the WCHA in conference scoring with 19 points (5-14) in 12 games and is tied for sixth in assists. Is tied for fifth in overall scoring on the Bulldog squad and her 21 assists tie her for third on the team. Participates in Duluth Amateur Hockey clinics and Skate With the Bulldogs. Was a Top 10 Finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Angela Ruggiero, Jr., D, Harvard (Harper Woods, Mich.)
As a defenseman, ranks fourth in the nation and second on the Crimson squad in overall scoring with 51 points (16-35) in 18 games. Her 16 goals ties her for ninth, and her 35 assists are good for third-best in the country. Is the nation’s top-scoring defenseman. Is also tied for third in the nation with two short-handed goals. Is the second-leading conference scorer and the top-scoring defenseman in the ECAC with 21 points (5-16) in seven games and leads the league in assists. Has earned ECAC Player of the Week honors once. Is a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Harvard Radcliffe Foundation for Women’s Athletics. Also serves as an Athlete Representative for Olympic Aid and is a member of House And Neighborhood Development.
Krissy Wendell, Fr., F, Minnesota (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)
Ranks sixth in the nation and second on the Minnesota squad in scoring with 48 points (23-25) in 21 games. Ranks seventh in goals and is tied for fifth in assists. Is third in overall scoring among the nation’s rookies. Is sixth in the WCHA in conference scoring with 26 points (13-13) in 13 contests. Is tied for fourth in goals and is tied for eighth in assists in the WCHA. Has earned WCHA Rookie of the Week accolades four times and Offensive Player of the Week honors once.
