2008 Kazmaier Award finalists revealed

Mar 13, 2008 - 2:37 AM COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Ticker) -- The oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, Harvard also has become famous for producing the most talented women's hockey players. Sarah Vaillancourt is hoping to fall into that category this year.

Along with forward Meghan Agosta of Mercyhurst and goaltender Kim Martin of Minnesota-Duluth, Harvard's Vaillancourt was named a finalist for the 2008 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award on Wednesday.

The winner will be announced March 21. The award, which recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey each season, 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.

A senior, Vaillancourt is looking to become the fifth different player from Harvard and sixth overall to claim the award in its 11-year history. She would join two-time winner Jennifer Botterill (2001, 2003), A.J. Mleczko (1999), Angela Ruggiero (2004) and Julie Chu, last year's recipient.

Vaillancourt has been a major contributor this season for Harvard (31-1-0), which is the top-ranked team in the nation. Named the Player of the Year by both the Ivy League and the Eastern College Athletic Conference, the Quebec native recorded 21 goals and 32 assists during the regular season and helped the Crimson to the ECAC championship by registering three tallies and two assists in four tournament contests.

The first freshman to become a top-three finalist for the Kazmaier Award last year, Agosta collected 61 points for Mercyhurst during the regular season, ranking first in the nation with a 1.23 goals-per-game average. The native of Ontario was named College Hockey America's Player of the Year and the conference tournament's Most Valuable Player in helping the Lakers to the CHA championship.

Also a sophomore, Martin led Minnesota-Duluth to a 24-4-1 record and its first Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title since 2003. The Swede also posted a 1.40 goals-against average and .950 save percentage and guided the Bulldogs to the WCHA tournament championship.