Women's hockey: 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-3 finalists announced

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Senior forward Loren Gabel (Kitchener, Ont./Clarkson University), senior blueliner Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston College) and senior forward Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif./University of Wisconsin) have been named the top-three finalists for the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, it was announced today by the USA Hockey Foundation.

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The 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a brunch ceremony at Cascade Fine Catering in Hamden, Conn., on Saturday, March 23, as part of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four weekend hosted by Quinnipiac University.

For more information about each finalist, click here.

Three Finalists for 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award

SELECTION PROCESS
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 multiple 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.

NCAA Women's Hockey Stars of the Week
1. Andrea Braendii, Ohio State
2. Terra Lanteigne, RIT
3. Jessie Eldridge, Colgatehttps://t.co/mrW5S78heX pic.twitter.com/cINwlNZthN

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 26, 2019

The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, were then 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 representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

Notes: Tickets to the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased at PattyKaz.com. Individual seats to the event are $65, while tables of 10 are available for $600. A select number of sponsorships and program advertisements are also available.

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ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
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.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER
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.