Patty Kaz 2007 Speculation

[PrincetonFan]

It's about time to get started on this, as the season is about half-over for most teams. Looks like a contest between Sarah Bauer repeating, Julie Chu, or someone from Mercyhurst (Colizza? Hosier? or underclassmen Chouinard or Agosta?)

Those who are better informed than I, please weigh in.

[MICZamboni]

It's about time to get started on this, as the season is about half-over for most teams. Looks like a contest between Sarah Bauer repeating, Julie Chu, or someone from Mercyhurst (Colizza? Hosier? or underclassmen Chouinard or Agosta?)

Those who are better informed than I, please weigh in.

You're better informed than you think. Those are 5 of the 6 who I immediately thought of. I didn't have Colizza (although she has been very good this year) but I had Martin of UMD.

I was a little down on Hosier early in the season but she has picked up her game for sure. She gives up too many rebounds for my liking but hey, nothing hurt so far.

Chouinard is awesome and doesn't get the limelight now that Agosta is there but I think that is a good thing. I think it will just help her get even better.

Agosta quit simply, is awesome. Love watching her make defenders fall over and her shot is incredible.

I got to watch Martin play twice(olympics once and on the internet two weeks ago). Both times she looked good. She single handedly kept UMD in the game. The same could be said for Parisi from Princeton but she needs to play more.

Chu is just a great hockey player. I can't say that I have seen her play since the olympics and since her freshman year before that but she is simply great.

[PrincetonFan]

Of course, each team can only nominate two players for the award. Mike Sisti has a tough choice. He'll probably go with the upperclassmen.

As for Martin, I wonder if a goalie who platoons will ever be a finalist. After Schaublin graduates and Martin becomes a full-time goalie, I think she'll stand a much better chance.

If Chu wins, that would mean the 2002-2003 Harvard squad would have three future winners (Botterill, Ruggiero, Chu).

[dave1381]

Moffat made top 10 in a plattoon a year ago so it's possible, but I don't think Martin has a shot -- she's 5-4 right now, that's not going to cut it. There will surely be a token goalie candidate, I think Vanderveer of OSU has a good shot, plus it's relatively a down year for the WCHA in terms of candidates.

As for who Sisti will nominate -- I think Agosta will get one of her team's nominations, she has a good chance to be a four-year finalist, and she has some distance between her teammates both in terms of reputation and stats. The second nomination is trickier -- I think Sisti would go with Colizza, his senior captain, even though Chouinard (name recognition from winning every CHA award last year) and Hosier (because there aren't many strong upperclass goalie candidates) would probably have a better shot of making the top 10.

[dave1381]

So other info -- coaches nominations come in mid-Jan (about the 12th), then coaches vote for top 10 in late Jan. (probably the 26th this year).

I'll take my guess at it (guess, not who I think should win) -- as I've said, it's tough for Mercyhurst to pick who to nominate. Wisconsin is another toss-up, with Zaugg being the odd player out between Bauer and Slusar. Slusar doesn't have the stats she had a year ago, but she's still a top player, she's Mark's senior captain, and she stands a better chance of getting top 10 anyway (again) since she did it last season, and there are many other top D candidates. Parsons probably stands no chance of being nominated on a team with seniors Apps and Piper. OSU nominates Vanderveer, but I don't which of the D gets it -- probably Bowman over Bonhomme because she's a senior.

So I'll start with a list that's too long and narrow it down.
Harvard -- Chu, Vaillancourt
Dartmouth -- Piper, Apps
SLU - Harbec
Wisconsin -- Bauer, Slusar (maybe Zaugg)
Mercyhurst -- Agosta, Colizza (possibly Chouinard, Hosier)
Token Goalie -- Vanderveer of OSU (maybe Martin -- no doubt Martin is the better G, but Vanderveer's simply had prettier-looking results so far)
Token D (if not Slusar) -- Bowman of OSU (maybe Bonhomme)
Token Hockey East player -- Faber (maybe Gigliotti or Hawkins -- will McCloskey nominate a sophomore?)

I use the word token because, I'm sure voters will always make sure they have at leas 1 G, 1 D, and 1 player from every conference on there, so it's tough for any one to get left off -- I don't mean it disparagingly.

So if I had to make a prediction of who gets edged out of that list above, I'd say Colizza, and then if Slusar gets in, I don't think there's going to be another D. So that's 10 -- Chu, Vaillancourt, Piper, Apps, Harbec, Bauer, Slusar, Agosta, Vanderveer, Faber

As for predicting the top 3 -- Chu, Bauer, Piper. Piper with the most uncertainty since she tends to not win end-of-season awards, but she was Kaz 10 in 2005. These are three players I'd have picked from the get-go, and they have the stats and reputation (that they've lived up to), and they're all seniors.

But there's still a lot of hockey left to played... this stuff changed pretty quickly last year... at this time a year ago, I thought Hurley or Gaudiel had a shot to be the token G, but they struggled mightily right before the vote, and Moffat got the nod.

[ARM]

I think it is possible for a D to make the list without having lights-out stats, if they are a well known/respected player. For example, Garland of UNH more than any other single player seems to make their power play go. In the past, I've argued for Slusar because of her value to the team compared to the next defenseman for the Badgers, but Mikkelson has grown to the point that she might be the better candidate this year. The fact that OSU has been a fringe top 10 team rather than solidly in the mix might hurt the Buckeye D. In any case, these awards are usually dominated by forwards or very offensive-minded D.

[dave1381]

If Chu wins, that would mean the 2002-2003 Harvard squad would have three future winners (Botterill, Ruggiero, Chu).
And that's already true of the 98-99 squad (Mleczko, Botterill, Ruggiero -- 4 trophies total). And in terms of bold predictions, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kessler as a top candidate three years now (when most of the other top frosh right now will be in Vancouver), though I may be extrapolating a bit too much from three starts. A lot of poise right now, IMO, for someone who is only 18.

[dave1381]

For example, Garland of UNH more than any other single player seems to make their power play go.
Duh, I let Garland completely slip my mind -- she could well be the token D and Hockey East player as well.

[PrincetonFan]

As for predicting the top 3 -- Chu, Bauer, Piper. Piper with the most uncertainty since she tends to not win end-of-season awards, but she was Kaz 10 in 2005. These are three players I'd have picked from the get-go, and they have the stats and reputation (that they've lived up to), and they're all seniors.

But there's still a lot of hockey left to played... this stuff changed pretty quickly last year... at this time a year ago, I thought Hurley or Gaudiel had a shot to be the token G, but they struggled mightily right before the vote, and Moffat got the nod.

Still a lot of hockey to be played, but Piper probably has missed too many games to be included in the top three. Harbec may be the third, or Apps, or Agosta will probably get it.

[dave1381]

Still a lot of hockey to be played, but Piper probably has missed too many games to be included in the top three. Harbec may be the third, or Apps, or Agosta will probably get it.
Yeah, I'd probably favor Apps for the third spot at this point. And I think Friday's Harvard-Dartmouth game may have bigger Kaz implications than any game this season, since the voting happens before postseason and Dartmouth pretty much runs away with the ECACHL with a win. Bauer has positioned herself pretty well for a repeat thus far with her performance against the Gophers this past weekend.

[Hux]

And that's already true of the 98-99 squad (Mleczko, Botterill, Ruggiero -- 4 trophies total). And in terms of bold predictions, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kessler as a top candidate three years now (when most of the other top frosh right now will be in Vancouver), though I may be extrapolating a bit too much from three starts. A lot of poise right now, IMO, for someone who is only 18.

I would not be surprised to see Kessler in the mix sooner, rather than later, and I would expect her to miss the '09-'10 season as I would bet she will be in Vancouver.

[mort87]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. My question is, does anyone believe that this award can be won by a freshmen?

[dave1381]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. My question is, does anyone believe that this award can be won by a freshmen?

No.

The main reason why it won't be won by a freshman is there are a number of intangible selection criteria like leadership, etc., and my impression is voters use that to justify excluding younger players. Only junior and seniors have ever won it, and only one sophomore has ever made the final three (and that was last year, when many of the top seniors are in Torino).

I think the best example of the tendency to tilt towards upperclassmen is in 2004, when Ruggiero, Potter, and Gunn -- all seniors -- made then final three, when Krissy Wendell, a sophomore, I thought clearly had a better season than Gunn or Potter (though Gunn was the Humanitarian Award winner that season -- there are those intangibles again). Of course Wendell got her due the following season.

I imagine you have Agosta in mind as the freshman contender. Since Chu, Apps, and Bauer are all seniors that have put up numbers comparabe to Agosta's, I do not expect to see her in the top three, given past history.

[HU2K4]

Another main reason is that coaches are limited to 2 initial nominations from their teams and they have rarely tabbed a first-year over their captains or more established leaders even when the rookie is having a bigger on-ice impact.

[mort87]

This award is not about team captains or established leaders is it!! My understanding is that it goes to the best player is that correct.

[dave1381]

This award is not about team captains or established leaders is it!! My understanding is that it goes to the best player is that correct.
No, it does not simply go to the best player.

From USA Hockey:
Selection criteria for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award 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.
Criteria like "team skills" and "academic achievement" are cumulative over time and can definitely be spun to award votes to older players.

[over rated]

I would not be surprised to see Kessler in the mix sooner, rather than later, and I would expect her to miss the '09-'10 season as I would bet she will be in Vancouver.

Kessler has played a grand total of 6 games and you are stating that she will be a Patty Kaz finalist in the future---and Skate 79 thought I was nuts to suggest that the starting job was hers when she is healthy! Ha!

[over rated]

Chu has got the Patty locked up, no need to name other finalists.

[NTR]

Kessler has played a grand total of 6 games and you are stating that she will be a Patty Kaz finalist in the future---and Skate 79 thought I was nuts to suggest that the starting job was hers when she is healthy! Ha!No, Skate thought you were wrong when you said you had been told that Kessler had been promised that she would be 'given' the starting job as soon as she could skate. Clearly, you were wrong, and I think you should own up to that. (And Hux didn't say anything about being a finalist.) Katie has played a fairly strict rotation thus far this season. I'm not a good enough judge to say who's better; I haven't seen either give up any bad goals. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them earns the starting spot by the playoffs, but for the first time ever (?) Katie must feel like she has two goalies who are capable of playing for a title - and they're both young to boot.

Again, none of the H fans were knocking Martin at all when Kessler got hurt; we were just very uncomfortable with the idea of having to play a season with only one goalie on the roster. Toretta (re-)emerged and is dressing for each game as well, and the nets at Bright haven't been this happy since Chuckie & El-Roy in '89.

I don't think Chu has the Kaz locked up, although she's probably a lock for the final 3. A big game tonight could go a long way. Her breakaway move last game was jaw-dropping.

[unh_hockey]

I would have to say sara bauer since thats jack bauers other daughter.