March 2, 2010

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Hockey Foundation today announced the 10 finalists for the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey.

The 10 finalists are (in alphabetical order): junior forward Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Mercyhurst College), senior forward Emmanuelle Blais (Lasalle, Que./Univ. of Minnesota Duluth); sophomore forward Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, Man./Mercyhurst College); senior forwards Felicia Nelson (St. Paul, Minn./St. Cloud State Univ.), Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass./Dartmouth College), and Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ont./Univ. of New Hampshire); freshman goaltender Noora Räty (Espoo, Finland/Univ. of Minnesota); junior forward Jesse Scanzano (Montreal, Que./Mercyhurst College); sophomore goaltender Florence Schelling (Oberengstringen, Switzerland) and senior defenseman Britni Smith (Port Perry, Ont./St. Lawrence Univ.).

The top-10 class of candidates for the 13th annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award represents all four women’s college conferences: College Hockey America, ECAC Hockey, the Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

The award selection process began in early February, when NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Nominated players 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.

The three finalists, including the recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, are chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey, the National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

The three finalists for this year’s award will be announced March 9.

NOTES: Felicia Nelson is the first-ever top-10 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist from St. Cloud State University ... Three of the this year's finalists are from Mercyhurst College. The University of Wisconsin (2009) and Harvard University (1999) are the only other schools to have three top-10 finalists in a single year ... The 10 finalists include seven forwards, two goaltenders and one defenseman. Five seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman are included ... The 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a brunch 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.

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.

2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top 10 Finalists

Vicki Bendus
Mercyhurst College • Forward • Junior • Wasaga Beach, Ont.
Elected as one of four team captains … Leads the NCAA in points (26-34--60) and shorthanded goals (5) … Ranks second in the nation in points per game (1.88), third in assists per game (1.06) and fifth in goals per game (0.81) … Scored five game-winning goals … Recorded seven power-play goals to tie for seventh in the country … Recorded point streaks of seven, six and five games …Obtained points in 26 of 32 games played … Marked a season-high four points four times … Named College Hockey America Player of the Week four times … Named to the 2009-10 Preseason All-CHA Team … Volunteers time on a regular basis at the Erie Veterans Hospital, taking care of patients and organizing events, including evening activities and field trips … Also spent time for the second-straight year with the annual Mercyhurst Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Emmanuelle Blais
University of Minnesota Duluth • Forward • Senior • Lasalle, Que.
Ranks seventh in the NCAA with a career-high 53 points (26-27) and a 1.47 points-per-game average … Sits sixth in the nation with 26 goals and 12th in assists (27) … Ranks second in the NCAA with eight game-winning goals and fourth in power-play goals (9) … Ranks second in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in points (40) in 28 league games … Is third with 20 goals and fifth in assists (20) in the WCHA … Ranks third in the WCHA with seven power-play goals and second in game-winning goals (6) … Recorded 19 multi-point games … Named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on both Feb. 24, 2010 and Oct. 30, 2009 … Became the 12th player in UMD history to reach the 100-point mark on Nov. 14, 2009 … Volunteers every Christmas by wrapping presents for the Salvation Army and organizing an Adopt-a-Family for the Bulldogs … Participates in various cause walks around Duluth, Minn., including the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome in fall of 2009, and the Find a Cure for Cancer Walk.

Bailey Bram
Mercyhurst College • Forward • Sophomore • Ste. Anne, Man.
Elected College Hockey America Player of the Week three times …Finished the regular season with 49 points (25-24) … Ranks second in the nation in power-play goals (12) and game-winning goals (8), third in goals per game (0.86), fourth in points per game (1.69) and seventh in assists per game (0.83) … Tied for second in the country in shorthanded goals (4) … Recorded point streaks of 11, seven and five games … Scored a goal in 18 of 29 games played and posted points in 25 of 29 games played … Recorded 15 multi-point games … Voted to the Preseason All-CHA Team … Worked with kids involved in the Gliding with the Stars program, a figure skating program designed for children with disabilities … Helped raise money for Mercyhurst’s Haiti Relief Week, collecting donations at local Mercyhurst events and in the community… Also spent time at several local elementary schools, teaching children hockey skills and playing floor hockey.

Felicia Nelson
St. Cloud State University • Forward • Senior • St. Paul, Minn.
Team captain … Leads the NCAA and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with 31 goals … Completed the regular season as the nation’s leading goal-scorer at both the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s levels (30) … Leads the nation and the WCHA with 15 power-play goals … Tied for ninth in the nation and fourth in the conference with 46 points (31-15) … Ranks second in the WCHA in power-play points (15-9--24) … Recorded her 100th career point on Feb. 19 … Three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week selection … Notched 14 multi-point games … A WCHA All-Academic Selection … Volunteered at the St. Benedict’s Senior Center during fall semester … Helped coach floor hockey and hockey clinics in St. Cloud area.

Sarah Parsons
Dartmouth College • Forward • Senior • Dover, Mass.
Led Dartmouth in all offensive categories (20-20—40) … Named first team All-Ivy and ECAC Hockey Second Team … Leads ECAC Hockey and is eighth in the nation in points per game (1.43) … Leads ECAC Hockey with 40 points … Ranks fourth in the nation in assists per game (0.71), seventh in goals per game (0.71) and 13th in goals (20) … Ranks second in ECAC Hockey with 20 assists and fourth in power-play goals (6) … Posted 13 multi-point games … Finalist for the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of Year, Best Defensive Forward and Player of the Year … Participated in Holiday Helpers, a program with Dartmouth student-athletes providing holiday gifts for the less fortunate … Member of Link-Up, a student-run group that matches incoming freshmen women with female mentors from the senior class on campus … Volunteer with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Kelly Paton
University of New Hampshire • Forward • Senior • Woodstock, Ont.
Three-time Hockey East Player of the Month … Three-time Hockey East Player of the Week … In the NCAA, is fourth in assists per game (1.03), fifth in points per game (1.65), 15th in game-winning goals (4), 16th in power-play goals (6) and 17th in goals per game (0.61) … In 10 games against nationally-ranked teams, recorded 14 points (6-8) … In Hockey East conference action, ranked first in shorthanded points (2), second in points (32), assists (27) and power-play points (13), as well as third in goals (7) … Led team in points (51), goals (19) and plus/minus (plus-19), and tied for the lead in game-winning goals (4) … Ranked second on the team in assists (32) and tied for second in power-play goals (6) … Ended the regular season with a nine-game point-scoring streak (6-10) … Opened the season with a 12-game point-scoring streak that included a seven-game assist streak… Tallied a point in 27 of 31 games with 12 multiple-point efforts.

Noora Räty
University of Minnesota • Goaltender • Freshman • Espoo, Finland
Leads the NCAA in goals-against average (1.06) and save percentage (.958), and is third in winning percentage (.818) ...  Leads the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in conference games with a 0.94 goals-against average ... Holds a 16-2-4 record and leads the nation with seven shutouts ... Named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week four times and WCHA Rookie of the Week twice ... Posted back-to-back shutouts three times this season ... Set a school record for most assists in a season by a goaltender (3).

Jesse Scanzano
Mercyhurst College • Forward • Junior • Montreal, Que.
Named a captain during the final week of the season … Recorded 56 points (19-37) … Leads the NCAA in points per game (1.93) and assists per game (1.28), and tied for second in shorthanded goals (4)… Recorded a point in 24 of 29 games played … Marked 19 multi-point games, including seven three-point performances and three four-point performances … Tallied six power-play goals and three game-winning goals … Scored points in seven straight games twice …Named College Hockey America Player of the Week once … Voted Preseason CHA Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-CHA Team… Has volunteered time with numerous Mercyhurst projects this year, including the Mercyhurst Food Drive and Thanksgiving Food Drive … Spent time working with the homeless at a mission home in Erie, Pa.

Florence Schelling
Northeastern University • Goaltender • Sophomore • Oberengstringen, Switzerland
Tied for third in the NCAA with a .949 save percentage and ranks fifth in goals-against average (1.37) …  Leads Hockey East with a .946 save percentage in conference games and ranks second in the conference with a 1.50 goals-against average … Named Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for October and November … Honored as Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week seven times (Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Jan. 25) … Earned four shutouts … Allowed two goals or less in 18 of 21 games, and one goal or less in 13 of 21 games … Won five games in which Northeastern was outshot … Won three of four shootouts and stopped 19 of 21 shootout attempts overall … Volunteers at local hockey camps over the summer.

Britni Smith
St. Lawrence University • Defenseman • Senior • Port Perry, Ont.
Ranked third in the NCAA among defensemen with 25 points (8-17) … Recorded eight multi-point games … Named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week on Dec. 14 … An ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team member … Earned Second Team All-Conference honors … Volunteered at both the E.J. Nobel Physiotherapy Clinic and the Adirondack Physical Therapy Clinics ... Volunteered at the Little River Community School, working with four- to seven-year-old children to develop reading and writing skills ... Participated in “Skate with the Saints,” which allows local children a chance to meet and skate with their favorite college players.