2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: Congrats to Meghan Duggan!

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Well Duggan doesn't seem to have bad weekends, that is one of her greatest qualities. I am frankly starting to think it is a lock, it should be.

I agree there's little to suggest Duggan will have a bad weekend. That is after all how you become the Kaz frontrunner. Under the old voting schedule, I agree Duggan would've had this locked up weeks ago. But next weekend does create an interesting dynamic.

It'll definitely be the toughest schedule a Kaz frontrunner has ever had to face leading up to the voting -- one team is battling for an NCAA bid, while the final opponent will possibly be battling for NCAA home ice, while Wisconsin has less to play for (though a WCHA title is of course still a goal). So it'll be interesting. But I don't think Duggan could've done much more at this point to put herself in position to win the award.

[True North 3]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

It's been great to see Duggan really come into the spotlight this year. She was always acknowledged as a standout player, but that was it. It seemed like she was known more for being Lawler's best friend. She had a great Olympic tournament but received little attention outside of Danvers and Madison. I think she has handled the attention with class and never looked past what was important; winning games as a team and being a leader. If she's the type of player and person leading USA hockey into the future, they have one big fan north of the border.

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

It's been great to see Duggan really come into the spotlight this year. She was always acknowledged as a standout player, but that was it. It seemed like she was known more for being Lawler's best friend. She had a great Olympic tournament but received little attention outside of Danvers and Madison. I think she has handled the attention with class and never looked past what was important; winning games as a team and being a leader. If she's the type of player and person leading USA hockey into the future, they have one big fan north of the border.

I agree. I would've never imagined in 06-07 that Duggan would be eclipsing Agosta as the frontrunner for this award. I mean that even would imply that Duggan made the 2010 Olympic Team which was not a given then.

[ARM]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

I would've never imagined in 06-07 that Duggan would be eclipsing Agosta as the frontrunner for this award.

I think that Duggan has always accepted her role, and that hasn't always been the most glamorous one. In 06-07, she was on the top line with Bauer and Zaugg, but her job was to grind in the corners and get the puck to Bauer to feed Zaugg waiting in front. In 08-09, Knight/Lawler/Keseley formed the scoring line, while it seemed Duggan's line would often have the shutdown responsibility. This year it seems that she has gotten to play with Decker more than Knight has and it shows in Duggan's stats. But I'd say Duggan is more of a hockey player than just a pure scorer, so from that standpoint, it would be nice to see her win.

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Agreed. I gathered Duggan didn't have the glamorous roles prior to this season, but I still wouldn't have expected her to be so dominant in the role she has now.

The Duggan and Decker have complemented each reflects well in the +/- stats: Duggan is +65, Decker +63, and Knight +56. No one else on Wisconsin is close.

It's also worth noting Duggan leads Wisconsin in all power play stats with 11g, 15a, 26 points -- while Knight & Decker have 17 points each. Duggan has those 11 goals on just 36 shots -- an absolutely lethal percentage. And Duggan also leads Wisconsin with 3 shorthanded goals. Just dominant in every phase of the game.

[myStuff]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

Dont take it personal.... but you are a homer !!!!Bauer over Schaus, come on. Let me guess ,your top three will hail from ...ehh?

aaahahahahaa oh whaaaaa!!!
Stats speak for themselves do the math

[BoSox3066]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

But I'd say Duggan is more of a hockey player than just a pure scorer, so from that standpoint, it would be nice to see her win.

That's it isn't it? Someone posted about the things Agosta doesn't do well getting more attention than the things Duggan doesn't do well. But what doesn't Duggan do well? I can't think of anything. She's the most complete player in the game.

[IceIsNice]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

But what doesn't Duggan do well? I can't think of anything.

4-12-1 in games I've attended since.

You may be right, but based on your record, I sure hope you'll be rooting for Wisco over the next couple of weeks!

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 10 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The Kaz 10 have been announced: http://www.usahockey.com/patty_kazma...tailedNews=yes

Meghan Agosta Sr F Mercyhurst College
Vicki Bendus Sr F Mercyhurst College
Meghan Duggan Sr F University of Wisconsin
Laura Fortino So D Cornell University
Haley Irwin Jr F University of Minnesota Duluth
Rebecca Johnston Jr F Cornell University
Hilary Knight Jr F University of Wisconsin
Noora Räty So G University of Minnesota
Molly Schaus Sr G Boston College
Kelli Stack Sr F Boston College

Congrats to all. A few comments to follow.

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

Overall I'm happy with the list. 8 of 10 matched my final predictions.

I got the wrong UMD player in the end. I thought Irwin's injuries down the stretch would limit her candidacy, but she was certainly a force and one of the top 5 or so players early in the season, and she was clearly deserving.

I guess with the Lams it was probably going to be all or none of them in the final 10, and I don't think there was enough room for both.

As I said earlier in the thread, I think Johnston is a top 10 talent but was not one of the top 10 players in women's college hockey this season. But I should have predicted that she'd get good support. Within her conference, she was certainly going to get support. Outside of the conference, she clearly got good support too. She did make the 10 already two years ago. I suspect the Four Nations Cup also helped. Interesting that Babstock won ECAC Player of the Year but didn't make it here. It could be a result of Johnston's prior reputation or other criteria.

In the big picture, WCHA gets 4 finalists while the other conferences get 2. This was the most dominant WCHA ever so I thought perhaps the league would match its all-time high with 5 of the 10, but with all coaches voting, selection does tend more towards conference parity.

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

What are posters' thoughts on the top 3? The vast majority of posters are supporting Duggan as winner, but what about the rest? I suspect Knight and Agosta are the favorites for the other two spots, but is there a case to be made for Raty (or anyone else)? If so who would you drop?

[froshgramp'10]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread: 26 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

If value to her team carries much weight, Raty should be there in the final three, but I have no idea how she fares in the other areas that are taken into consideration.

[Trillium]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

As I said earlier in the thread, I think Johnston is a top 10 talent but was not one of the top 10 players in women's college hockey this season. But I should have predicted that she'd get good support. Within her conference, she was certainly going to get support. Outside of the conference, she clearly got good support too. She did make the 10 already two years ago. I suspect the Four Nations Cup also helped. Interesting that Babstock won ECAC Player of the Year but didn't make it here. It could be a result of Johnston's prior reputation or other criteria.

I too am kind of surprised Babstock didn't make the list, since she beat out both Johnston and Fortino for ECAC player of the year, and I believe was one of the top scorers in D1. I do agree with you that Johnston is a potential top 10 talent, but certainly don't think she had a top 10 year either. Too many times for significant stretches she will take shifts/periods off and actually look very ordinary....but then all of a sudden decide to play and break a game open.

You expressed surprise earlier when Babstock won ECAC player of the year. I suspect that is what hurt her with the voters outside her league. As a freshman without national team experience, she is still an unknown entity elsewhere. No one appreciates her talent....yet.

Nevertheless, it's hard to argue with the other candidates who did make the list.

[ARM]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

I too am kind of surprised Babstock didn't make the list, since she beat out both Johnston and Fortino for ECAC player of the year, and I believe was one of the top scorers in D1.

The surprise isn't that Babstock didn't make the list, it is that Johnston did. As a frosh, a player needs either to have a huge reputation coming in, usually by performing in international competition, or put up mega numbers such that the voters can't ignore her, to make the Kaz Top 10. Babstock numbers, while strong, don't place her in the top 10 in PPG. They aren't as high as players like Wakefield and the Lams who are better known and didn't make it either. The ECAC awards are based on league play, while the Kaz is based on the season as a whole, so it doesn't necessarily follow that the voting for the two would play out the same.

[dave1381]

Re: 2010-2011 Patty Kazmaier Thread

Interesting take on reality.... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=6178652

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Mercyhurst forward Vicki Bendus is among the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given annually to the top player in major women's college hockey.

The senior from Wasaga Beach, Ontario, captured the award in 2010 and attempts to become the first back-to-back winner since the award's inception in 1998. Harvard's Jennifer Botterill won in 2001 and '03.

Bendus has seven goals and 17 assists this season.