Feb. 19: The USA Hockey Foundation today announced the top-10 finalists for the 2007 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, recognizing the nation's top Division I women's ice hockey player. St. Lawrence University junior Sabrina Harbec, one year after being a top-three candidate, joins fellow ECACHL players Gillian Apps (Dartmouth), Julie Chu (Harvard), and Sarah Vaillancourt (Harvard) on the list of finalists.

 

Harbec has had another outstanding season for the Scarlet and Brown, scoring 23 goals and notching 36 assists for 59 points. The St. Hubert, Quebec native, who has four game-winning goals and a team-best three short-handed goals, ranks second all-time in scoring behind Rebecca Russell in the university record book.

 

"This is obviously another tremendous accomplishment for Sabrina, and we are very happy for her on again being a finalist for one of the most coveted awards in all of college sports," said Saints head coach Paul Flanagan. "She plays so hard day in and day out, she's a very deserving candidate and belongs on that list of very accomplished hockey players."

 

Joining the four ECACHL representatives on the Patty Kazmaier Award finalist list are Meghan Agosta from Mercyhurst, defending Patty Kazmaier winner Sara Bauer and teammate Meaghan Mikkelson from Wisconsin, Tessa Bonhomme from Ohio State, Martine Garland from New Hampshire, and Noemie Marin from Minnesota Duluth.

The award selection process begins in late January, when NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches are asked to nominate up to two players from their respective teams for the award. Nominated players are then placed on an official ballot, which is sent back to the coaches to vote for the top 10 finalists. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP tabulates the ballots.

The top three finalists, including the recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, are chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media and a representative of USA Hockey, the National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The three finalists for this year’s award will be announced March 5.

The 2007 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a brunch ceremony on March 17, in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four, in Lake Placid, N.Y. Tickets to the event may be purchased at pattykaz.com or by calling 800-566-3288, ext. 169 ($60/individual seats, $500/table of 10).

 

Five previous winners of the award will be in attendance at this year’s ceremony, including three-time U.S. Olympian Angela Ruggiero (Harvard/2004), two-time Olympian A.J. Mleczko (Harvard/1999), the inaugural award recipient Brandy Fisher (New Hampshire/1998), last year’s award winner Sara Bauer (Wisconsin/2006) and the first goaltender to win the award Ali Brewer (Brown University/2000).