The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was established in 1998 and is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. It is an award of The USA Hockey Foundation. The criteria includes being an outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Academic achievement and civic involvement are also considerations.
The award is named after Patty Kazmaier who died from a rare blood disease at the age of 28 in 1990. Patty anchored the Princeton defense and led the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons. She was an exceptionally gifted student-athlete who represented true on-and-off-the-ice excellence. Upon her death, Kazmaier left a husband and a daughter.
Source: Cornell Sports