WCHA Leads the Way with Five Kazmaier Finalists
Feb. 8, 2005
MADISON, Wisc. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association leads the way as five players from three league teams were named finalists for the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. The award is given annually to the nation's top women's collegiate hockey player by The USA Hockey Foundation.
Minnesota's Krissy Wendell and Natalie Darwitz were named to the top 10 for the third straight season. Darwitz, a junior forward from Eagan, Minn., leads the nation in scoring with 83 points (29-54) through 28 games. Wendell, a junior forward from Brooklyn Park, Minn., ranks second nationally with 75 points (32-43) in 28 games. Darwitz is tied for the league lead in scoring with 62 points (22-40).
Wisconsin also boasts two finalists in defensemen Molly Engstrom and Carla MacLeod. A senior from Siren, Wis., Engstrom ranks fifth among defensemen nationally with 1.00 points per game while MacLeod, a senior from Calgary, Alberta, averages 0.68 points per game to rank 14th nationally.
Minnesota Duluth's Caroline Ouellette is making her second appearance in the top 10. Ouellette, a senior forward from Montreal, Quebec, is tied with Darwitz atop the league scoring ranks with 62 points (26-36) and ranks third nationally with 65 points (27-38) in 25 games. The eighth-annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a dinner at the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth in Portsmouth, N.H., on March 26, 2005, in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four.
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, first presented in 1998, is in its eighth year. The three finalists, as well as the recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, are chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of women's Division I hockey coaches, members of the media and a representative from USA Hockey, the National Governing Body for the sport of hockey in the United States. Candidates for the award must compete for a Division I ice hockey team at an NCAA-member institution. Selection criteria include 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.
2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top 10 Finalists
PattyKaz.com
| Player | Pos | School | Yr | Hometown |
| Julie Chu | F/D | Harvard University | Jr. | Fairfield Conn. |
| Desi Clark | G | Mercyhurst College | Sr. | Salmo, B.C. |
| Nicole Corriero@ | F | Harvard University | Sr. | Thornhill, Ont. |
| Natalie Darwitz#@ | F | Univ. of Minnesota | Jr. | Eagan, Minn. |
| Molly Engstrom | D | Univ. of Wisconsin | Sr. | Siren, Wis. |
| Carla MacLeod | D | Univ. of Wisconsin | Sr. | Calgary, Alta. |
| Caroline Ouellette# | F | Univ. of Minnesota Duluth | Sr. | Montreal, Que. |
| Cherie Piper | F | Dartmouth College | Jr. | Scarborough, Ont. |
| Rebecca Russell | F | St. Lawrence University | Sr. | Clarenville, Nfld. |
| Krissy Wendell#@ | F | Univ. of Minnesota | Jr. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. |
#2003 Top 10 Finalist
@2004 Top 10 Finalist
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