Harvard's Julie Chu wins Patty Kazmaier Award

Mar 17, 2007 - 9:45 PM LAKE PLACID, New York (Ticker) - Julie Chu won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award on Saturday, becoming the fifth Harvard player in 10 years to claim the top honor in women's college hockey.

A senior forward, Chu was chosen over 2006 winner Sara Bauer of Wisconsin and Meghan Agosta of Mercyhurst by a 13-member selection committee that includes coaches, media members and a representative from USA Hockey. The announcement was made at the Hilton Lake Placid, where the Women's Frozen Four is being held this weekend.

A finalist in 2005, Chu becomes the fourth different Harvard player to win, following A.J. Mleczko in 1999, Jennifer Botterill in 2001 and 2003 and Angela Ruggiero in 2004.

"In my 13 years of coaching at Harvard, no one has distinguished herself more than Julie," Harvard coach Katey Stone said. "Her commitment to her teammates, coaches and school far exceeds that of any of her predecessors. She is a gifted athlete and a true humanitarian."

Chu, who hails from Fairfield, Connecticut, tied Agosta for scoring honors with 66 points, running her career total to 280, the most in NCAA history. She topped the country with 48 assists this season and was the Ivy League Player of the Year.

Agosta, an Ontario native, was the first freshman among the three finalists in the history of the award. She led Mercyhurst to the first national No. 1 ranking in program history and tied for the lead in scoring with 66 points, including a national-best 34 goals.

Bauer also hails from Ontario. She was the WCHA Player of the Year and scoring champion, collecting 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points, which ranked third in the nation.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey each season. It is named for the late Patty Kazmaier, who was an All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton from 1981-86 who died in 1990 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.