ITHACA, N.Y. -- Four Cornell women's hockey players have been selected as nominees for the top individual award in women's college hockey, the Patty Kazmaier Award presented by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, announced today by USA Hockey. Junior
Rebecca Johnston, sophomores
Lauriane Rougeau and
Laura Fortino, and freshman
Brianne Jenner are among the 26 athletes who have been nominated for the honor.
The list includes 17 forwards, five goaltenders and four defensemen, with 12 different schools represented among the nominees. Mercyhurst leads all schools with five players nominated, with Cornell's quartet the second-highest tally. Wisconsin and Boston University have three players each, while Boston College, Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota each have two players.
The field of nominees was compiled by the 34 coaches in NCAA Division I hockey. A player had to be nominated by more than one coach to be named to the list.
The NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches will cull the list down to a group of 10 finalists, which will be announced on March 3. From there, a 13-member selection committee will choose three finalists, who will be announced on March 10, with the winner being named in Erie, Pa., on March 19.
The Big Red opens post-season play this week with the ECAC Hockey quarterfinal round, taking on eighth seed Rensselaer in a best-of-three series at Lynah Rink. Friday's game one will begin at 7 p.m., with game two on Saturday and a potential game three on Sunday both beginning at 4 p.m.