| Clarkson University Junior Forward Led Nation in Goals COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Elizabeth Giguere (Quebec City, Que.), a junior forward from Clarkson University, was named the recipient of the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award today. The award is presented annually to the top player in the NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey by The USA Hockey Foundation. Giguere was selected from the top-three finalists that also included sophomore forward Alina Mueller (Winterthur, Switzerland/Northeastern University) and senior forward Abby Roque (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich./University of Wisconsin). “It would be hard to say that any one player has elevated their game or put their team on their shoulders more than Elizabeth has this year,” said Matt Desrosiers, head coach of the Clarkson women’s ice hockey team. “We have been fortunate to have had some great players come through our program, but Elizabeth has displayed the ability to do things on the ice that just make you shake your head in amazement. One of the best attributes she has shown is the capability to make everyone around her better.” The Clarkson superstar has been a gamechanger since joining the team in 2017 and closed out the 2019-20 season as the NCAA’s most dominant goal-scorer (37), including 10 game-winning goals, which tied for tops in the nation. Giguere, who helped lead Clarkson to a 25-6-6 record, was second in the nation with 66 points and her 1.78 points per game average was third best in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey in 2019-20. ECAC Hockey’s Player and Forward of the Year, Giguere led the conference this season in goals (23), points (41) and points per game (1.86). She twice earned ECAC Hockey Player of the Month Award honors and was also a two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Week honoree. Giguere also earned distinctions as the Windjammer Classic MVP and NCAA First Star of the Week in 2019-20. Giguere will enter her senior campaign next season with 210 career points, just four points shy of breaking the school record held by Loren Gabel, who captured the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. NOTES: Giguere is the 23rd receipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and the third Golden Knight to earn the honor, joining last season’s winner Loren Gabel and Jamie Lee Rattray, who claimed the honor in 2014 … The 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner and the top-three finalists were chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media, an at-large member and a representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots. |
