#patty kazmaier award

[offsidenewsco]

Have you ever wondered about NCAA Hockey? What's the Frozen Four? How do the rankings work? What players have played through the system?

We've got you covered in our primer here

[chirpingfromthebox]

An Incredibly Biased Primer to the Minnesota Frost Roster

First of all, you should know that I am by no means a hockey expert. I was never one for playing sports, and most of my hockey knowledge comes from watching MN Wild games back in the days before I got too busy with school and never got back to it. So take what I say with a grain of salt. I like who I like and I don't have any real knowledge of the NCAA nor the lore of women's hockey history. But I love hearing from all the wonderful hockey players, and NCAA fans, and general WoHo historians, and everyone else on here who are so much more knowledgeable than I. (as well as just the other fans like myself).

In any case here is my very biased guide to some of the big names (imho) on the Frost's roster to give any new fans a place to start. Especially because our team is all about the drama and we deserve nice things for daring to ride the chaos coaster.

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Unlike every other hockey player list in the world, I'm not going to start with the Forwards.

Defenders are my favorite and so I'm gonna start with them!

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Defenders

And because this is my list, I'm also gonna start with my favorite player and first in the number order:

Lee Stecklein!

Stecklein is a 6 foot tall master of defense and one of the alternate captains for the Frost (so if you see an "A" on someone's jersey that's what that means). And she has won basically everything there is to win.

An Olympic gold medal? Yes. An NCAA National Championship? 3 of them. An Isobel Cup? Yep. What about an IIHF Championship? U18 or World Championship, you ask? It doesn't matter, because she's done both. She has since retired from the National Team, but was a staple on it for a long time.

After I started watching the PWHL last season she was the player that really caught my eye. Even though the camera wants to follow the action, I am often trying to look at what defenders are doing and I kept noticing #2, because she was always where the opposing offensive wanted to be. You'd swear she can see 5 seconds into the future, because she is just consistently exactly where she needs to be.

And, maybe this is neither here nor there, but I swear she is also just an incredibly graceful skater. Any hockey players out there please confirm or deny this. While a lot of players skate like they're attacking the ice, Stecklein seems to glide across it.

Okay, okay, enough gushing here's some things to note. She had the most penalty minutes of any Frost player last season. But she laughingly claims this was due to refs being inconsistent with where exactly the line was on how league was calling penalties at the beginning. So don't expect her to repeat that distinction.

In terms of defense she often goes under the radar because she's a shutdown defender more than an offensive one. So don't expect her to be racking up points this season. But anytime the Frost is in trouble expect to see her on the ice. She's big, she has incredible hockey sense, and a leading force both on and off the ice for the Frost's defense.

Her skill on defense AND as a leader is a big part of why I think the Frost's defense is something for other teams have to take real seriously.

Sophie Jaques

Jaques was the Patty Kazmaier award winner in 2023. She was part also part of one of the biggest stories of season one: Boston trading Jaques to Minnesota for Susanna Tapani. This was a pretty big deal because Jaques was Boston's 2nd round draft pick and Tapani was Minnesota's 5th round pick! So this was a pretty massive trade.

It was also notable for being a genius move by both teams. Both players went on to really excel on their new teams in ways they hadn't been before. Consider this, during the 7 games she played for Boston she had 0 goals and 0 assists. Then she goes to Minnesota, they have complete faith in her, she starts working with Lee Stecklein, and then in her 15 regular season games with MN she had 2 goals and 8 assists. (She also nearly got the championship winning goal for Minnesota in the Finals, but that's a whole different story.)

Unlike Stecklein, Jaques is an offensive defender. You can expect her to be a part of some big plays and part of the defense line when they want a d-pair with some bite.

Also, if you're like me and sometimes have letters shift around on you a little bit, you should note that there is no "C" in her name and it's pronounced "Jakes."

Claire Thompson

Thompson was our first round draft pick this season. It was also a pick that really fucked up everyone's predictions for the draft. It was generally thought at the time that Minnesota would want to grab Cayla Barnes. Also that it would probably be a Canadian team that went for Thompson as she was part of the Canadian national team that won the World Championship in 2021 and the Olympic Gold in 2022.

My knowledge on her is limited, but from what I do know she's an interesting pick. It was a bit of a gamble by Minnesota because she had taken a year off hockey to study for med school. But from what I've seen from her she was on Team Canada for a reason. A defense player that's also a goal-scoring threat.

She could lead to some really interesting d-pairs this season. Like a hyper offense combo of Jaques and Thomspon? Things could get really spicy there. She could go a long way to giving Minnesota some really interesting ways to utilize their defense this season.

Maggie Flaherty

The best smile on the team. A ray of sunshine. Scored Minnesota's first goal of the playoffs [in game 3!] and stoked the fires to victory. Dances like no one's watching. And a solid defender. She's a delightful human being and will bring you much joy.

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Okay, okay, we can talk about Offense now. Since you INSIST.

Forwards

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Let's start out with our captain and a pivotal figure in the founding of the league. She had recently given birth last season and still managed to lead the team to a championship, so imagine what she'll be able to do now!

She is well known for being fast. She's only 5'2" so between her acceleration and her skating skill, if she slips past the defense she's a hard one to catch. Now a seasoned WoHo veteran she's also capable of being a real play maker. And even though she's small she can fight out a puck from the corners with the best of them.

If I tried to list everything she's done in and for women's hockey we'd be here all day.

She's probably the most serious of the PWHL captains and is the type to speak with her actions more than her words. So you generally won't see her blowing up on social media. She's also my favorite captain to transcribe in interviews because she is incredibly terse.

Taylor Heise

The one, the only, the first ever draft pick in the PWHL! She was out for part of the season for an injury and still managed to be a big goal scorer for Minnesota. When she came back she wasn't playing at her usual level until the playoffs. But if she plays the way she did in the playoffs this season? Oooo, it'll be spicy.

She is currently rocking a knee brace though, but she isn't on the long term injury list? So we'll have to see how she's feeling. Hopefully she avoids further injury this season.

Her talent on the ice in undeniable and she's more than likely a future captain for the team. But trust me, you don't need me to tell you that. Her play will speak for itself when she takes the ice.

What you can't tell from the game footage is that she is one of the most gracious and gregarious members of the team. If you go to any home games this year be on the lookout for her if you head to the autograph table after the game. Even when she isn't on table duty she often comes up to say hi to fans, take pictures, and sign autographs.

Truly just such a friendly and generous person. I have yet to see a fan walk away from her without a big ol' smile on their face.

Also notable for being BFFs with her fellow Frost forward Grace Zumwinkle, who she played with in college.

Grace Zumwinkle

Truly a force of nature.

Heise might get more attention, but don't get it twisted, Zumwinkle is currently the best forward on the team.

Yes, the stats are busted because of Heise's injury. But it's still fact. I don't care. Fight me.

Zummie has the distinction of getting the first hat trick in the PWHL. Which she did in her first game of the season! She was tied with Sarah Nurse for 2nd most goals in the regular season (at 11 goals). She also rightly won the award for rookie of the year. And honestly it wasn't even close. [Emma Maltais fans will disagree here, and I respect their case, she was great too, but they are also wrong. Fight me.]

She was Minnesota's 3rd round draft pick in year one. Darwitz knew that Zum and Heise worked well together and purposefully wanted to get the pair together.

I don't know why, but I feel like a lot of people sleep on Zumwinkle. I rarely hear of her when people are talking about the league powerhouses. But trust me, she's not a player to underestimate.

Her BFF antics with Heise are also a source of great joy and delight to all.

Michela Cava

Cava is an interesting case. She has a laundry list of accolades and championships to her name. She's won the SDHL championship. She's won the ZhHL championship. She's won the PHF championship. And now she's won a PWHL championship too!

She was a solid forward during the regular season. I wouldn't say she really lived up to her full potential, but she was definitely a strong player nevertheless.

But in the playoffs? Oh ho ho! *chef's kiss*

Cava has a bit of a reputation for leaving nothing on the ice when it comes to playoffs. If I'm not mistaken she was actually the playoff MVP for every one of those championships she won before coming to the PWHL? And she went full tilt once again!

Even though Heise ended up winning the Playoff MVP last season Cava tied her for points! [Cava went 4 goals, 4 assists; Heise went 5 goals, 3 assists].

So in a worst case scenario she is a really solid forward. In a best case scenario? She runs over the opposition all season.

Now, as a Frost fan, I'm going to assume that you're at least partially here for the delicious drama. So let me point out to you that last season Cava played on the Frost with her girlfriend Emma Greco. However, this year Greco plays for Boston. Which means any MN v. BOS game will have a little extra spice.

Kelly Pannek

The Frost's other alternate captain.

...I'm sorry...I just looked her up to make sure I had my facts straight and saw something wild and now I need to address it. Apparently she set the state record in high school for quickest hat trick with 3 goals in 22 seconds?? I mean, wtf! That goalie probably still wakes up in a cold sweat some nights from that.

Okay, back on task. Pannek actually played with Lee Stecklein in college for the University of Minnesota [Stecklein was a year ahead of her]. And like Stecklein she has won basically everything there is to win. [This is why her new beer is called "Been There, Won That."]

During last regular season she was 16th in the league in terms of points, so she was definitely in the upper echelon. [for the record Kendall Coyne Schofield was 13th, and Grace Zumwinkle was 7th.]

So definitely expect Pannek to be making things happen this season.

Liz Schepers

Okay, so hear me out.

Yes, Schepers had 0 goals and 3 assists during the regular season. BUT if you want to see what she's capable of just look at the playoffs. She was an absolute menace to Toronto!

In the first 3 goals Minnesota had against them, every single one of them came from a Schepers assist. Another way to say that is that she assisted with every Frost goal of Games 3 and 4. (The team didn't score at all in the first two games, but we won't talk about that)

Who knows what will happen this season. All I'm saying is that if Schepers starts to pop off, I will thoroughly not be surprised.

Also she has an adorable dog named Rookie. So you know, there are multiple reasons to look out for her.

Klára Hymlárová

You'll have to ask someone more familiar with international play knowledge for the scoop here. She was our 3rd round draft pick though and I'm curious to find out what they saw in her. All I know is that she was a top player for the Czech national team. Check out this little article for some more insider knowledge on what she can bring to a team.

I'm dying to see how all these international players are gonna change the play of the game, so I'll be keeping an eye on her and seeing what transpires.

Goalies

Saving the most important position for last: our goalies!

Minnesota was the only team last season to fully embrace a goalie tandem style. Everyone else had their main goalie and tended to only swap them out when they wanted to give them a break. [Except for Ottawa who never wanted to give Maschmeyer a break.]

And this tandem was incredibly effective! So if you too love goalies you're in luck, because you'll get to see both of them on a regular basis. Plus it has the added bonus of making every game a little more exciting by wondering who will be starting that game.

This duo was so effective that Minnesota is the only team this season to put their 3rd goalie on reserve. It's an interesting move to be sure, and yet it does make sense because they are the only team that really knows exactly what they want to do for goalies this season.

But who are these goalies who we have so much trust in?

Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney of course!

Hensley was Minnesota's 2nd round draft pick last season, so that should give you a clue of how badly Darwitz wanted her on the team. She's a lover of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. And more importantly one of the U.S. national team's go-to goalie picks for quite a while now.

And I bet you're wondering, has she won a gold medal? Yes! She has. But interestingly enough when she won it in 2018 and she wasn't the starting goalie that year (although she did shutout Russia). Who was the starting goalie that year?

Maddie Rooney!

If you want to get a sense of just how stacked the PWHL's goalie lineups are consider this: Rooney wasn't drafted at all! Minnesota invited her to training camp and then signed her there. A friggin' gold medal-level goalie went undrafted. I mean, talk about an epic training camp pickup.

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There are plenty more players on the team, but these are the ones that I think are the most notable / just some of my favorites. This is probably riddled with typos and mistakes, but whatever! I'm really tired and need to get to bed. If I missed anyone's favorite, be sure to let us know. As well as giving us the run down of what makes them so cool. ;)

[gryz]

Ohio State defender Sophie Jaques becomes the first Black winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I women's hockey!

[grantmentis]

Some of Brittany Howard’s accomplishments:

Two time CHA player of the year

Dapper Dan Charities Pittsburgh Sportswoman of the Year

Broke the RMU points record with 181 points in 138 games (later broken by Jaycee Gebhard)

All-USCHO Rookie Team and All-CHA Rookie Team in college

2018 Top ten finalist for Patty Kazmaier award for top women’s college hockey player

2022 PHF all star

Isobel cup winner with the Toronto Six

Congratulations on a great career, Brittany!

[worldspotlightnews]

OSU's Jaques named D-I women's hockey POY

DULUTH, Minnesota — Ohio State defender Sophie Jaques won the Patty Kazmaier Award on Saturday, given to the top player in women’s NCAA Division I hockey. Jaques, who is from Toronto, is the first Buckeye to win the award and the second-ever defender. She helped Ohio State to a 33-5-2 record and a berth in Sunday’s NCAA national title game against Wisconsin. Jaques led all NCAA defenders in…

[bqstqnbruin]

Aerin Frankel won the Kazmaier !

[womenshockeydaily]

Former professional hockey player Julie Chu has many titles. She is a Patty Kazmaier Award winner; the second-most decorated U.S. woman in Olympic Winter Games history; and a four-time Olympic medalist. She's also a two-time Clarkson Cup winner, a CWHL All-Star, and a five-time IIHF World Championships gold medalist.

In November 2017, Chu added a new title: parent. She and fellow former pro hockey player Caroline Ouellette welcomed their first child, Liv, that year, just a few short months after Caroline's playing career ended with a Clarkson Cup win with Les Canadiennes de Montréal. Their growing family expanded earlier this year as they welcomed their second child, Tessa, in May.

It's a title that Chu is clearly thrilled to have - even if it may be challenging at times.

"We're just adding more love into our family atmosphere," she said. "Yes, it's chaotic at times, and as parents, sometimes we feel like we're losing, and that's just the truth. It's like the kids are winning and we're losing - but then things just settle."

"Being able to share our love with our kids and see that love being reciprocated, and then just watching them grow and develop daily," she added. "That's been really fun. Seeing our daughters grow up as individuals but then also how they interact together."

Continue reading

[chipg1322]

Original Riveter, Kiira Dosdall Returns for Fourth Season with Defending Isobel Cup Champions Metropolitan Riveters

Original Riveter, Kiira Dosdall Returns for Fourth Season with Defending Isobel Cup Champions Metropolitan Riveters

The Metropolitan Riveters announced on Thursday that Original Riveter, Kiira Dosdall, will be returning to defend the Isobel Cup this season.

Dosdall has been with the Riveters since day one at Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, New York and continued don the jersey with Rosie emblazoned across the front, as the team moved west, to Newark, New Jersey and the RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House.

In her time…

[savebyhart]

Who's your favorite woho players?

PHEW you have so many incredible players whom I love…..(shoutout to Duggs and Bells and many others)

BUT I do have a golden trio of absolute favourite players and they are :

- Brianna decker. One of the best hockey players to ever touch the ice and no I’m not exaggerating. Patty Kazmaier award winner. Clarkson cup MVP (and game winner scorer). NWHL MVP in 2015-16 AND 2016-17. Isobel cup champion. SIX (6!!) times world champion. Olympic gold medalist, and many more. So much talent compacted in a smol body! PLUS she’s so cute and passionate and a lil bit of a dumbass and fiercly loves her teammates. She’s also a dork who pushes kids during teaching sessions, and sometimes crunches her nose in such a weird way, I love her SO MUCH

- Rebecca Johnston. Also known as me just screaming “SHE!! S H E!”. Absolute SNIPER of a shot, incredibly elite forward, Canada’s next prime minister. “But what are her accomplishments Jade?” Well first of all she stole my heart so jot that down. Oh and she’s also a 2 times Olympic gold medalist, the CWHL’s scoring leader in her FIRST SEASON, a 2 times Clarkson cup winner, and world champion. She’s the best captain (but also a dumbass) and also has the funniest face when forced to smile. She’s adorable with babies, and is so full of love for her teammates it’s overwhelming. Her laugh is incredible

- Blake bolden. Aka The Beauts Mum Friend. She’s been snobbed by USA hockey for SO LONG it’s not even funny. She’s got one of the wickedest shots in women’s hockey (NWHL hardest shot winner two years in a row, at 87mph and 80mph) and is S O reliable on the blue line, so not only can she shoot like a goddess, she’s also responsible for me suggesting a drinking game called “take a shot every time you hear “Blocked by Bolden” (the Buffalo Blocked By Bolden are my favourite team). She’s an amazing cook and wants me personally dead with her regular posting of work out content, and she’s a real mama hen to all her teammates. A dork as well obviously. One of my first posts on this blog was a picture of her I screenshot from her story, I couldn’t stop looking at it.

so there you go anon! my holy trinity! 

[garden-of-succulents]

Part Two of Kent Parson and the Comeback Kid (click for Part One), the story about how 34-year-old Andy Scarlatti qualifies for the US Women's National Ice Hockey Team. Huge thanks to @onlysmallwings for helping to transcribe my handwriting!

Content notes: Graphic depiction of physical child abuse.

They talked her into it.

Terry and Mac and Janine said how great it would be to have her in a tournament that weekend, and Kent pointed out that if half the people she was there to see were going to be in Duluth anyway they might as well go and change their flight back, and at the last minute Sarah cancelled the dinner that would have conflicted with practice. She ended up spending sixteen hours playing hockey that week, delighted and charmed to be back, and then they hit her with the real whammy.

Patricia Lee was Andy's teammate in college. While Andy had struggled through the NCAA and gone on to run Twitters and coach children, Patricia was focused and put-together, won the Patty Kazmaier Award and played in the CWHL before being immediately signed when the NWHL started up. She'd moved home to Minneapolis to marry a nice Hmong boy both she and her family were wild about and have two kids in quick succession, but kept working as a performance coach and doing administration for the national women's team.

"It's my first time running camp," Patricia wheedled over the phone as Andy made dinner. "I want a friend there with me."

Andy laughed. "Excuse me, you're friends with everybody. Everyone there loves you."

"But you're so isolated," Patricia pleaded. "I could tell you all the worst gossip about everybody, and you're so socially unconnected, it would never get back to them. I need that outlet."

"It's during playoffs," Andy protested, stirring the sauce, though she reached over to knock her knuckles against the cupboard door out of superstitious habit.

"You always say your husband is useless during playoffs. Dump Nick with your mother-in-law and get out of the house. Let one of his boyfriends tend to his needs instead."

Andy paused, then said, "It's the National Selection Camp."

"Yeah, I know. Amy was at the tournament, she saw you, and she wants to bring you on. The coaches want to have a couple wildcards, that's all. It makes everybody work harder if there's an element of uncertainty."

"I'm not sure," Andy said.

Kent talked her into it.

She'd been to the National Selection Camp once before, a week after she graduated high school. They'd wished her luck on the loudspeaker her last day of classes.

When she didn't make the cut, her dad beat the shit out of her.

She beat the shit out of him too. He was the one who taught her how to fight, boxing gloves in a gym when she was 12, a lifetime of wrestling and dirty tricks and penalty calls he nodded with approval over.

When she got home he grilled her, afternoon to evening, about the week before. He was her coach, and he wanted to go over every last detail of the camp’s selection process, probing for her weaknesses. By 11 pm she got up, her hands in her hoodie pocket, and said, “I’m too tired for this. I’m going to bed.”

He put a flat hand on her shoulder, insisting that she sit, and she shrugged it off. He pushed; she pushed back. He stood in the door; she drove her elbow into his solar plexus. He grabbed her hoodie collar and backhanded her.

She blacked both his eyes.

He only stopped hitting her and let go when she was crumpled on the floor, everything bent into curling up, protecting her stomach and her head, saying brokenly, “Dad, stop. God, stop.” And when she took too long to sit up, they both knew she had a concussion from when he hit her head so hard it rebounded off the wall.

“Are you-“ he said, hands out, like he was afraid to touch her, ask. Like he was afraid of what he’d done.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, weak but distinct, and got up.

He followed her to the door of her bedroom, spewing orders and excuses as she threw a few things into the bags that hadn’t been unpacked from the selection camp. She ignored him. He moved aside as she shouldered past him, carrying purse and hockey bag and suitcase and pillow. She left the house with him thundering that he was going to call the cops because she shouldn’t drive.

At the time, she didn’t care. It was almost two hours to her mom’s place, and she stopped once to throw up and buy a big bottle of water, but after a while she sadly concluded the cops weren’t going to pull her over so she’d have to drive the rest of the way herself.

At the apartment she kept grimly pounding on the door (the building’s rear entrance had been propped open with a brick) and tried to come up with her next step if her mom didn’t live there anymore; but eventually Elaine’s boyfriend came to the door in boxers and a t-shirt and let Andy in.

In the morning her mother gave her coffee and took pictures of her injuries and said, “I’ll fix this.”

She didn’t, of course. There was a court judgment against her saying she was unfit to get custody and as her boyfriend pointed out, Andy’s dad could counter-charge her with assault. Andy just kept her head down for the rest of summer, working out at the YMCA and trying to avoid juvie or foster care. She got into the dorms in mid-August for university training camp and in October she turned 18 and it all blew over.

She wasn’t invited to selection camp in the following year. She got sent down to Division III two years later. She had basically always believed that after that night, her hockey career was all downhill from there.

And the thing was, she only got as far as she did the second time around because she was married to Kent Parson. It was infuriating.

If women's leagues had been like the men's leagues--if there were thousands of paying positions on professional teams, instead of the couple hundred unpaid spots there were when she graduated college, or the couple dozen spots that paid peanuts available now--she might not have ended up among the top of them when she graduated. She wasn't at a good place, mentally or physically, and might have signed with the equivalent of the AHL at 22. She hung out in Minneapolis with AHL players, knew it wasn't a sumptuous living like NHL contracts but it paid rent and beer and protein powder, and the most important part was: Someone would be willing to fund her to work out and train and play hockey all day. She would have done that until she retired, and been happy.

Patricia Lee wrote computer programs during the week, her entire playing career. She did her best to work out and train as much as she could, but the biggest chunk of her working hours was spent writing code. The CWHL didn't pay, back then, but sponsors supplied her with skates and pads and one stick a season, and an NWHL salary let her cut work down to two days a week before she retired. She and the teammates she lived with cooked all their own meals.

Living with Kent, it was so easy. The Aces' dietician had a friend whose business was fresh-delivered meal ingredients. The players sat down with Marco to work out their meal plans, and if they handed those meal plans over to Julia, she'd deliver meal ingredients to them daily, already portioned out and peeled and prepared for the skillet. It was like Blue Apron, but more exclusive; Julia made a tidy living from about thirty clients. And when Andy moved in, Marco stopped by her office one day and said, "Hey, Kent paid for Julia just to throw your food in with his, so I wanted to ask, what's your intake? You doing more strength or cardio lately?"

She did roller derby two nights a week, which was as much exercise as some of their players did ever; but she also spent so much time in the weight room at the back of their house, talking to Kent as he pumped iron, that it made sense to get on a machine and do some of the work herself at home. Then she got to know Swoops and Cam and Mikey enough to feel comfortable working out with them on Saturdays at a gym in town. The trainers there knew her, and knew her routine when she worked out with the Aces, so she went weekends the boys were out of town, too. And Kent preferred swimming to distance running after his knee got gummy, and that was easy for her too; so before she knew it, she was working out 20 hours a week, double what she'd been doing before in Minnesota.

Her office was in the Aces practice facility in Henderson. The offices clustered at the side nearest the parking lot, and she had a computer and a desk that she worked at; but the other end of the building was the rink, the gym, the pool, and trainers' space. All Aces staff got access to these facilities when they weren't scheduled for use by the players of community teams, and Andy kept a hockey bag with skates behind her desk. She had to lace up and go out on the ice for the part of her job that meant coaching, but sometimes she went out just to get kinks out of her body and clear her head. By her second year, Kent would often come back from strategy and media in the afternoons, and she'd get her work done by four, and they'd spend an hour on the ice before the children she coached arrived.

They didn't play, not at first. He was so much better than her at hockey--which was kind of hard to avoid, because he was better than almost anybody--that they didn't even try; she didn't like to cry when she got frustrated, but it distressed him to see her working through something, stony-faced, with tears running down her cheeks. Instead they ran drills, usually more of what the team had been working on in the morning--skating, shooting, passing, anything. It was too frustrating when Mikey came back and put on his pads for them to score against, because Andy rarely could, but when his knee troubled him Kent played goalie instead.

It was how they relaxed. It kept Kent from showing up at dinner with his teeth clenched and an unsatisfied look on his face; instead he worked out with Andy until his hands shook and his eyes lost their wildness, and he could go home and eat.

They already knew, before she conceived, that she wasn't taking on the bulk of the childcare. She was coaching and often on the road; he took a year off after Nick's birth, scandalized everyone by embellishing knee surgery into actual paternity leave, but even still his mom moved in with them. Andy bore with the tension Karen sometimes generated, because her mother-in-law gave her so much more freedom. And when Kent went back to playing, Andy's time alone with her husband happened in the gym or on the ice, because all other time in their lives had been eaten.

It skewed everything, playing against Kent. Playing against the Aces. They accepted her as one of them, included her in jokes and parties, but Andy was always a little smaller, a little slower, a little less good, and she struggled to keep up with their worst players. When she and Kent played keep-away, it was an experiment for him skating with his bad knee immobilized in a brace, him dragging around the ice like an invalid without a crutch. That gave her enough of an advantage that he still almost always won, but only after a fight.

And anyway, she was retired. Her career was over. She was finished as a hockey player.

So it wasn't until she went up against women who played after work in beer leagues, who fed families and diapered children, who played games on weekends because they couldn't get weekdays off, that she realized how good she was.

She was numb after the roster announcement and managed to say a few mechanical things about being honoured and surprised, so it wasn't until she checked her phone and found an email from an NWHL address headed, "Free Agency Options" that Andy actually broke down crying.

Kent answered her videocall instantly and said, "I'm so proud of you," and stayed on the line until Patricia found Andy in the hallway with three of her new teammates behind her and surrounded her with hugs. He did say that he loved her and supported her and they'd talk when she got home, but he also understood when one of Andy's teammates said they needed to go bond now and hung up on him.

They went out for pizza.

(part 3)

[uniportbuzz]

Clarkson’s Elizabeth Giguere wins Kazmaier Award COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Clarkson junior forward Elizabeth Giguere has been selected as the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, presented annually to the most outstanding player in women’s college hockey.

[casorasi]

Clarkson's Elizabeth Giguere wins Kazmaier Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Clarkson junior forward Elizabeth Giguere has been selected as the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, presented annually to the most outstanding player in women's college hockey. Clarkson's Elizabeth Giguere wins Kazmaier Award

[yoyo12x13]

Canada's Elizabeth Giguere named top NCAA women's hockey player

Canada’s Elizabeth Giguere named top NCAA women’s hockey player

[ad_1]

Clarkson forward Elizabeth Giguere of Quebec City has been awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award that goes to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey.

Giguere, Wisconsin forward Abby Roque of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Northeastern forward Alina Mueller of Switzerland were the three finalists.

The award is named in honour of the late Patty Kazmaier, who played for Princeton from…

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CANTLON: RYAN LINDGREN PROFILE AND LATEST NEWS

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings CROMWELL, CT - It’s been a rollercoaster of a first season for Hartford Wolf Pack rookie defenseman, Ryan Lindgren. His play has earned him a passing grade for his effort, despite not going to the postseason for a second straight season A majority of Lindgren's season was spent partnered with John Gilmour as the Wolf Pack’s top defensive duo. The expectation for the remainder of the season is that there will be new combinations tried at both the forward and defensive positions.  Lindgren played with Brandon Crawley last weekend. “It was a lot of fun playing with John, and we also got along well off the ice too. I'm happy for him to get a recall. He’s a heck of a hockey player. I played most of the year with him, with the exception of a few games. He's such an easy guy to play with, just give him the puck, and he’s such a good skater, you let him fly. "Now we're all going to have to make changes and adjustments with so many new faces,” said Lindgren. Lindgren is acutely aware of what coming into a locker room at the end of a tough, and a difficult season can be like for a player. “I came here last year for the last ten games, so I know what it's like when you’re the new face and everything is new to you. It’s a very exciting time for them to start playing (pro hockey). It’s still a big time for myself and all the other players to show management what you got. We've got to make sure nobody is taking any nights off. It’s an important final ten games for everybody here.” Lindgren had one advantage last year that helped in in his transition. His former college teammate, Vinni Lettieri, who was just recalled to the Rangers, was there to greet him last spring. “I went through the same thing they did in coming from college. It's just a different lifestyle going from class and knowing all your buddies to a place where you really don’t know anyone. To go from the structure of going to classes to where you go to practice in the morning and then the rest of the day is yours, it's a lot different as the hockey is different from the college game.” The Lettieri factor was big for him. “I was very lucky to have Vinni here when I got here, of course, I knew him from playing at (University of) Minnesota, so I was able to move in with him and he’s a guy who was always on the move, on and off the ice,” Lindgren said with a laugh. “He had family come in and always had something going on. I was very lucky to just not to sit in a hotel by myself, doing things with him or cooking meals at home. I was very fortunate.” Lindgren’s game is a physical, grind-it-out style that is a throwback to the players of 10-15 years ago. At that time, having a physical rearguard would be prized, but in today’s game, defensemen are more like defensive backs in football. Their hands are tied in how to defend against the opposing forward in their own end. “When I was playing for the US at the World Juniors with coach Bob Motzko (now the head coach at the University of Minnesota). He used to say to play as close to the line as you can. To crossover is a huge thing. I like to play a physical style. I do trash talk a bit, and run my mouth,” Lindgren said with a wry smile and wink. ”But you have to be careful not to carry it too far. In general, you have to stay focused on your game, so you don’t hurt the team with bad or ill-timed penalties. So that’s the game I bring and that’s not going to change, you just have to be smart to know when the right time is.” The first year has seen Lindgren’s potential tempered with reality. It was a season of ups-and-downs for the Wolf Pack as a team and individually. He now sports an "A" with Rob O’Gara out for the past 21 games since early February with a lower-body injury. “I have been happy about it there a very good group of guys here and I got time in New York which of course very special,” said Lindgren. The Second year pro was originally drafted by Boston, whose rights were acquired in the Rick Nash deal last spring “I have learned a lot in my time here. (Pack Head Coach) Keith (McCambridge) and (Assistant Coach) Joe (Mormina) have been huge for me in getting to learn the pro game, and the call-up, of course, to the Rangers was something else. I was fairly consistent for the year and the Rangers seem happy with me,” The season, however, boils down to one bad stretch, a ten game losing streak that ran from mid-January to mid-February just after the trade of then, team captain, Cole Schneider. “We were right in contention (three points out of fourth place) and we lost ten in a row and it's hard to make that up and others were winning (Hershey Bears) and next thing you know we fell out of it (playoff contention). It’s a very tough time of the year. Everybody is playing for a playoff spot and you're not. "We let up at that time and this is where we're at. Losing Schneids was tough, but we didn’t play as well as we should have.” The Checkers with a 44-15-7-1 record (96 points) are 31 points ahead of the Wolf Pack. They clinched a playoff berth last weekend by sweeping the Pack in a pair of games. Syracuse has also clinched a playoff berth last weekend as they lead the North Division. The Pack takes on the Checkers for a third straight game on Friday night at the XL Center at 7:15 pm which will be the last meeting with the Checkers this year. “They are the league’s best team. We got a lot of new faces, so it's going to be a big test for us if we play well,” said Lindgren last weekend as they departed for North Carolina. NOTES: No week is complete without some roster moves. Greg Chase, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler, Kelly Chase, had a two-goal game for the Maine Mariners (ECHL) against the Worcester Railers including an OT winner. He was signed to a PTO by Hartford while Dean Melanson was returned to the Mariners. Former UCONN player Karl El-Mir was released by Providence from his ATO deal without having played a game. Michael Doherty (Yale) was released by the Bruins too and sent back to Manchester (ECHL). A slew of El-Mir’s Hockey East opponents have all signed pro deals this week. Boston College saw Michael Kim and Chris Brown both sign with Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). Casey Fitzgerald (Buffalo-NHL/Rochester-AHL) and goalie Joseph Woll sign with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and a report from TSN’s Bob McKenzie says that freshmen, Oliver Wahlstrom, has told BC he will turn professional and is working on a deal with the New York Islanders and may wind up with the playoff-bound Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Woll’s departure will allow Darien’s Spencer Knight (US National Development Team) and one-time Avon Old Farms product to head to BC. He will likely be a first or second round pick in this upcoming summer’s NHL Draft in Vancouver. Boston University, saw top-end defenseman, junior, Dante Fabbro sign with Nashville. Ridgefield native, Chad Krys, sign an ATO deal with Rockford (AHL). Goalie, Jake Oettinger (Texas-AHL), Bobo Carpenter (Islanders) and, a surprise freshman, Joel Farabee (Flyers) have all left. A total of 27 Hockey East players have signed pro deals so far. There has been 105 Division I players and 118 college players in total have all signed North American/European pro deals. Matthew McGroarty (Westport/Brunswick Prep) has made an oral commit to Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) in 2021-22. Congrats to the state high school hockey champions. Early in March in the NEPSAC prep school boys tournament at St. Anselm College in Manchester, Kent School won the large Division title beating Cushing Academy 2-1. Kent grads include current Rangers head coach, David Quinn, and current Ranger and ex-Wolf Pack, Boo Nieves. In the Open Division, Salisbury Prep lost in the finals to Kimball Union 4-3. Salisbury features Thomas Richter (Greenwich), the son of the Rangers all-time great goalie, who is a Union College (ECACHL) commit 2020-21. In the public school tournament held at Yale University, in Division I Fairfield Prep captured their 17th Division I title (one Division II title in their first year as a varsity program) in the fifth championship meeting between ND-West Haven. They won by the score of 5-2. Mason Whitney and Thomas Quinn had a goal and an assist apiece to pace the Jesuits win. The final four for the first time in Division I history featured all four teams from parochial schools. In Division II, the Branford Hornets shutout Glastonbury 2-0 to capture the first title as David Engstrom’s goal and assist and Jared Yakimoff’s 20 saves paced the title win. It was Branford’s first title since 1988 when they beat Shepaug Valley (Washington, CT) by the score of 5-3 and only the third championship final in the history of the program. In Division III, the co-op program Lyman Hall/Haddam-Killingworth/Coginchaug knocked off the other Wallingford school, Sheehan, in the Battle of Wallingford by the count of 6-2 for their first ever hockey title. Senior Kyle Roberts had two goals and an assist and nine shots on goal and sophomore Aidan Weir’s tallied two goals on two shots, including what became the game-winner help the Trojans victory. The University of Wisconsin won the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four this past weekend in Hamden at Quinnipiac University with a 2-0 shutout win over Minnesota for their 5th national title. Loren Gabel of Clarkson (ECACHL-W) won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the Hobey Baker Award for women’s hockey. The Calgary Inferno captured the CWHL (Canadian Women’s Hockey league) championship shutting out the Les Canadiennes of Montreal, 2-0 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, home of the AHL Toronto Marlies. CT Jr. Rangers forward, Jay de Ruiter, who played for the Netherlands WJC team in Division 2 Group B is playing for his home country national team at the U-18 World Championship Group B Division 2 in Belgrade, Serbia. Ex-Pack, Matt Carey, signs with Schwenniger (Germany-DEL) for next season. Four more European, Asian or Scandanavia titles have been decided. In Iceland, SA Akureyri Vikings of Northern Iceland (southern Iceland much warmer !) swept SR Rekyavik in four straight 2-0, 3-2 (OT), 3-2 and a final game at 4-1. The playoff MVP and top goalie was Adam Beukeboom, the second cousin of former Ranger player and coach and Wolf Pack assistant coach, Jeff Beukeboom. In Lithuania, Engergie Elektrenai won their 4th straight title over Hockey Punks Vilnius sweeping best of five series by the scores of 6-4,7-4 and 7-3. In Spain, Txuri Urdin beat CG Pulgcerda for their third straight title and 16th Spanish title winning the championship game 3-2. Turkey, saw Zeytinburnu Istanbul capture its sixth straight Turkish Super League (TSL) title beating Buz Adamlar. They swept the best of five series winning by the scores of 2-1, 4-3 (OT) and 4-3 in the short-season league. The leading regular-season scorer was former Danbury Whaler Matt Puntureri of KOC University-Istanbul with 52 goals and 21 assists and 73 points in just 14 games! Read the full article