The USA Hockey Foundation announced Thursday that Northeastern senior goalie Aerin Frankel, Wisconsin senior forward Daryl Watts and Minnesota senior forward Grace Zumwinkle have been named as the three finalists for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Frankel is 19-1-1 this season for the Huskies with an 0.71 GAA and a .969 save percentage with nine shutouts.
Watts, who won the award as a freshman in 2018, has gone for 17 goals and 34 points in 29 games this season.
Zumwinkle has compiled 17 goals and 24 points in 20 games for the Gophers.
The 24th winner of the award will be revealed on Saturday, March 27, as part of a special broadcast on NHL Network. Jackie Redmond will serve as host and all 10 award finalists will be featured.
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.
The 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 from 1981 to 1986. 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.
