Top 3 Announced
Top 3 Announced
Three Finalists Named for 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
March 9, 2010
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior forward Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Mercyhurst College), senior forward Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ont./Univ. of New Hampshire) and freshman goaltender Noora Räty (Espoo, Finland/Univ. of Minnesota) are the three finalists for the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, it was announced today by The USA Hockey Foundation. In its 13th year, the award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.
2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
Finalists
Vicki Bendus • Mercyhurst College
Junior • Forward • 34GP, 27-35--62
Kelly Paton • Univ. of New Hampshire
Senior • Forward • 32GP, 19-32--51
Noora Räty • Univ. of Minnesota
Freshman • Goaltender • 17-3-4, 1.24, .951
The trio represents three NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey conferences – College Hockey America (Bendus), the Hockey East Association (Paton) and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Räty).
The 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at an award ceremony at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center on March 20 in Minneapolis. The event is held is conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four.
Tickets to the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ceremony may be purchased by calling 719-538-1184, or by e-mailing or faxing a completed ticket form, which can be found at PattyKaz.com. Individual seats are $75, while tables of 10 are available for $700.
Vicki Bendus
One of Mercyhurst College's team captains, Bendus is near the top of the NCAA leaderboard in almost all offensive categories. She is tied for the nation's lead in points (62) and shorthanded goals (5), second in points per game (1.82), third in assists per game (1.03) and fifth in goals per game (0.79). Bendus was also named the College Hockey America Player of the Year and garnered First Team All-CHA honors. A four-time CHA Player of the Week, Bendus helped the Lakers secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Kelly Paton
A senior captain for the Wildcats, Paton ranks fourth in the NCAA in assists per game (1.00), fifth in points per game (1.59) and tied for sixth in points (51). She also leads her team in points (51), goals (19) and plus/minus (plus-16), and is tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (4). Paton has garnered multiple honors this season, including Hockey East co-Player of the Year and the Hockey East Three Stars Award. She was also a unanimous All-Hockey East First Team selection, three-time Hockey East Player of the Month and three-time Hockey East Player of the Week.
Noora Räty
Following a standout rookie campaign, Noora Räty is just the second-ever freshman to be selected a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Räty leads the NCAA in goals-against average (1.24), save percentage (.951) and shutouts (7), and is third in winning percentage (.792) after posting a 17-3-4 record. The WCHA goaltending champion garnered All-WCHA First Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team honors. In addition, she was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week four times and WCHA Rookie of the Week twice. She also set a school record for most assists in a season by a goaltender (3).
NOTES: Vicki Bendus is the second top-three finalist from Mercyhurst (Meghan Agosta-2007-09) ... Kelly Paton is the fourth top-three finalist from the University of New Hampshire (Brandy Fisher-1998, Nicki Luongo-1999, Carisa Zaban-2000). Brandy Fisher won the first Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ... Noora Räty is the fifth top-three finalist from the University of Minnesota (Courtney Kennedy-2001, Ronda Curtin-2002, Natalie Darwitz-2005, Krissy Wendell-2008). Krissy Wendell won the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Räty is also the second-ever freshman to be named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (Meghan Agosta, Mercyhurst-2007) ... For more information on the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, visit PattyKaz.com.
ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey each season. 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 for 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 on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.
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