Patty Kazmaier Award

The USA Hockey Foundation today announced the top-10 finalists for the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. The honor is bestowed annually upon the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey and this year will be unveiled 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 top-10 finalists include: junior goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie (Warroad, Minn./University of North Dakota); junior forward Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn./University of Minnesota); sophomore forward Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn./University of Minnesota); junior forward Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass./Boston College); junior forward Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill./Northeastern University); senior forward Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Cornell University); senior defenseman Emily Pfalzer (Getzville, N.Y./Boston College); senior forward Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Boston University); senior defenseman Rachel Ramsey (Chanhassen, Minn./University of Minnesota) and junior forward Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md./Boston College).

The selection process commenced earlier this month 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 independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.

The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2015 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, 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 top-3 finalists will be announced on Thurs., March 5.

Tickets to the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased at PattyKaz.com. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is supported, in part, by a grant from the NHL Foundation.

Notes: Six schools are represented in the top-10, including three finalists from both Boston College and the University of Minnesota ... Among the top-10 finalists are seven forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender, including five juniors, four seniors and one sophomore ... Hannah Brandt was also a top-10 finalist in 2013 and 2014 ... The Hockey East Association leads all conferences with five finalists, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association boasts four finalists and ECAC Hockey is represented with one finalist ... For more information about the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, please visit PattyKaz.com.

Goaltender • University of North Dakota • Junior (redshirt) • Warroad, Minn.

Leads all NCAA Division I goaltenders with a .955 save percentage, stopping 609 of 638 shots faced … Current record is 16-6-3 and ranks third nationally with 1.15 goals-against average … Tied for third in the nation with nine shutouts … In conference play, leads all goaltenders in save percentage (.955), as well as goals-against average (1.17) with a 13-6-3 record … Set new records at North Dakota for career wins, career shutouts and single-season shutouts … On pace to set program records for single-season save percentage and goals against-average … Three-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week … Volunteered at the French Fry Feed in September and with the University of North Dakota Hockey Fan Fest.

Forward • University of Minnesota • Junior • Vadnais Heights, Minn.

Ranks second among NCAA Division I skaters in points (62) and assists (35) through 34 games … Ranks third nationally in points per game with 1.82 and is tied for third in goals with 27 … Tied for fifth with 14 power-play points … In conference play, ranks first in points (50), goals (21), assists (29) and points per game (1.85) through 27 games … Ranks second in power-play points with 12 … Only seventh Gopher and 25th NCAA player to surpass 200 career points … WCHA Preseason Player of the Year and three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week … Volunteered with Hope Kids, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Windom Area Youth Hockey and Special Olympics Minnesota, as well as Gophers Strike Out Cancer, Feed My Starving Children, Maplewood Care Center and local youth hockey associations.

Forward • University of Minnesota • Sophomore • Plymouth, Minn.

Ranks fourth among NCAA Division I skaters in points (55), is tied for seventh in goals (21), places third in assists (34) and sixth in points per game (1.62) in 34 games … Is tied for fourth overall with six game-winning goals and is tied for eighth with 13 power-play points … In conference play, leads all skaters with 13 power-play points and five game-winning goals … Ranks second in the conference with 43 points, 17 goals, 26 assists and 1.59 points per game … Two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week … Volunteered with Hope Kids and Hope Day Festival, Special Olympics Minnesota, Golden Gopher Fund Thank-a-thon and the University of Minnesota Unlimited Dance Marathon.

Forward • Boston College • Junior • North Reading, Mass.

Leads all NCAA Division I skaters in points (71), goals (31), assists (40) and points per game (2.29) through 31 games … Tied for second nationally in game-winning goals with seven … In conference play, leads all skaters with 41 points and game-winning goals with six, as well as tied for first with 21 assists … Ranks second with 20 goals and 2.16 points per game … Set a program record with 25-game point streak from Oct. 4 – Feb. 3, amassing 62 points within that span … Surpassed her own record for most single-season points in Boston College history (70) … Three-time Hockey East Player of the Week and twice named Hockey East Player of the Month … Volunteered with Team IMPACT and Athletes Unlimited Newton.

Forward • Northeastern University • Junior • Palos Heights, Ill.

Leads all NCAA Division I skaters with four shorthanded goals … Ranks fifth nationally in points (46), fourth in goals (24) and fourth in points per game (1.70) through 27 games … In conference play, leads all skaters in goals (21), points per game (2.17), power-play points (12) and shorthanded goals (3), while sitting second in points (39) through 18 games … One-time Hockey East Player of the Week … Chicagoland and northwest Indiana Ronald McDonald House ambassador, volunteers with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Chicagoland and the For Julie Foundation, as well as runs clinics at local YMCA and Team for Tomorrow program with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Boston and Chicago.

Forward • Cornell University • Senior • Oakville, Ont.

Is tied for the NCAA Division I lead  with 18 power-play points … Ranks fifth nationally in points per game with 1.67, while tied for sixth with 45 points and tied for fifth with 35 assists through 27 games … In conference play, co-leads all skaters with 33 points, while leading in assists (22) and power-play points (15) through 20 contests … Sits second with 1.65 points per game and tied for third with four game-winning goals … Named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week once, as well as two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Month … Finalist for the Mandi Schwartz Student-Athlete of the Year award … Founded Markers for Madison and volunteers with the Tompkins Girls Hockey Association Cub Club … Helps spread awareness for the Do It For Daron Foundation and volunteers with local United Way chapter.

Defense • Boston College • Senior • Getzville, N.Y.

Leads all NCAA Division I defensemen with 38 points, 31 assists and 1.27 points per game through 30 contests … Only defenseman in the top 20 scorers among all skaters, sitting tied for 12th with 38 points … Also ranks 12th with 1.27 points per game and is tied for fifth with 31 assists … In conference play, leads all defensemen with 22 points, 19 assists and 1.22 points per game through 18 contests … Sits tied for seventh among all conference skaters with 22 points, third with 19 assists and tied for sixth with 1.22 points per game … Has the most points and assists of any defenseman in Boston College history … Two-time Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week … Volunteered with Team IMPACT, Athletes Unlimited Newton and Boston College’s ‘Be The Match’ Bone Marrow Drive.

Forward • Boston University • Senior • Beauceville, Que.

Among all NCAA skaters is tied for ninth with 42 points, tied for seventh with 21 goals and sits seventh with 1.56 points per game through 27 games … In conference play, sits fourth among skaters with 1.53 points per game and seventh with 15 assists, while tied for fourth with 26 points and tied for seventh with 11 goals through 17 contests … One-time Hockey East Player of the Month, as well as Hockey East Player of the Week … Part of Boston University Athletics’ annual Holiday Reading Program and participated in Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk, as well as helped raise money as part of the Hockey East Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative.

Defense • University of Minnesota • Senior • Chanhassen, Minn.

Ranks second among all NCAA Division I defenseman with 31 points and 23 assists, while sitting third with 0.89 points per game through 35 contests … Tied for third overall with eight goals … In conference play, leads all defensemen with 24 points, 17 assists and 0.86 points per game, while ranking second with seven goals through 28 games … Sits ninth in the conference among all skaters with 24 points, fifth with 17 assists and 10th with 0.86 points per game … Volunteered with Hope Kids and Hope Day Festival, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minnetonka Youth Hockey and annual Gopher Athletics food drive and toy drive.

Forward • Boston College • Junior • Rockville, Md.

Ranks second among all NCAA Division I skaters with 28 goals and 1.97 points per game, while ranking third with 61 points and fourth with 33 assists through 31 games … Also tied fourth with six game-winning goals and tied for second with three shorthanded goals … In conference play, ranks third among all skaters with 33 points and 1.74 points per game, as well as tied for third with 16 goals through 19 contests … One-time Hockey East Player of the Week, as well as Hockey East Player of the Month … Volunteered with Team IMPACT and Athletes Unlimited Newton.

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.