University of Minnesota Athletics
Brandt, Cameranesi in Patty Kaz Top 10
2/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Feb. 25, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota senior Hannah Brandt and junior Dani Cameranesi are among the top-10 finalists for the 2016 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the USA Hockey Foundation announced today.
This year, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient will be unveiled at a brunch ceremony at Wentworth By The Sea in New Castle, N.H., on Saturday, March 19, as part of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four weekend hosted by the University of New Hampshire. Tickets are on sale now at PattyKaz.com.
Joining Brandt and Cameranesi in the top 10 are senior goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie (University of North Dakota); senior forward Alex Carpenter (Boston College); senior forward Kendall Coyne (Northeastern University); junior goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens (University of Wisconsin); sophomore defenseman Megan Keller (Boston College); junior defenseman Kelsey Koelzer (Princeton University); sophomore forward Annie Pankowski (University of Wisconsin); and senior forward Haley Skarupa (Boston College).
Brandt is now a four-time finalist for college women's hockey's most prestigious award. She was a top-three finalist each of the last two seasons and was a top-10 finalist as a freshman. Cameranesi is also a repeat honoree after being among the top 10 as a sophomore. Among this year's top-10 finalists are six repeat honorees in Amsley-Benzie, Carpenter (last year's award winner), Coyne, and Skarupa, along with Brandt and Cameranesi.
Six schools are represented in the top 10, including three finalists from Boston College and two each from Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with five finalists, while the Hockey East Association has four finalists and ECAC Hockey has one finalist.
The top-three finalists, including the award's 2016 recipient, will be 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 top-three finalists will be announced Thursday, March 3.
Minnesota has had two Patty Kazmaier award winners in Amanda Kessel (2013) and Krissy Wendell (2005). Sixteen Gophers have been named finalists 29 times, including four-time finalist Brandt.
Hannah Brandt, Senior Center (Vadnais Heights, Minn.)
Senior co-captain Hannah Brandt currently ranks fifth in the NCAA in points (54), sixth in goals (24), and 10th in assists (30). She is second in the WCHA with 43 points and 19 goals and ranked fourth with 24 assists in league play. Brandt's 16 power-play points are tied for fifth in the NCAA. Her .591 winning percentage in the faceoff circle is good for sixth in the WCHA. Brandt also has an NCAA-best four hat tricks this season.
The Vadnais Heights, Minn., native was named the 2015-16 WCHA Preseason Player of the Year and is a two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honoree this season. This season, she became Minnesota's career leader in points (275) and assists (161) and ranks second in Gophers history in goals (114). She is the WCHA career assists leader and ranks second in points and fifth in goals. Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader and ranks among the NCAA's all-time top 10 in all three categories as well. She tied a Minnesota record with a five-goal game earlier this season as well.
A right-handed center, Brandt is among the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalists for the fourth time in her career. She is also a two-time WCHA Player of the Year and two-time First-Team All-American honoree. She has earned All-WCHA First Team honors in each of her first three seasons with the Gophers. Brandt ranks among the top players in program history in every offensive stat category, including holding a Minnesota record +226 career plus-minus.
A Health and Wellness major in the University of Minnesota's Inter-College Program, Brandt intends to continue her education to become a physician's assistant. She is a two-time WCHA All-Academic Team selection and WCHA Scholar Athlete. Active in giving back to her community, Brandt's volunteer experience includes Minnesota Hockey, Big Brothers Big Sisters, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Hope Kids, Maplewood Care center, and area youth hockey associations.
Head coach Brad Frost on Brandt:
"Hannah's career numbers speak for themselves, as each year she has proven to be a dominant college hockey player. She is fourth in scoring in NCAA history, and is the top scorer in the history of our program here at Minnesota. The impact Hannah has made on the ice has been immeasurable, and the fact that she has been nominated four times in a row for this prestigious award is incredible. She goes about her game quietly, making her teammates better in practices and in games. She has grown into a mature team leader who excels in every situation on the ice, in the classroom, in our community, and on campus. Hannah's humility in the midst of all of her individual success is perhaps the most remarkable part of her leadership. She is a wonderful person, a great leader, and one of the best hockey players we've had in the history of our program."
Dani Cameranesi, Junior Forward (Plymouth, Minn.)
Junior forward Dani Cameranesi currently ranks fourth in the nation in points (61), goals (28), and goals per game (0.85); fifth in assists (33) and points per game (1.85); and sixth in assists per game (1.00) among all NCAA players. She is the NCAA leader with 12 power-play goals and a .243 scoring percentage. Cameranesi is the WCHA leader in goals (24), points (53), goals per game (0.86), points per game (1.89), power-play goals (11), and scoring percentage (.253) in conference play.
This season, Cameranesi is a two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Month (November, December) and two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. She recorded a career-high eight-point series in the Gophers' road sweep at Ohio State. Cameranesi has 18 multi-point games including seven multi-goal games. She is tied for 10th in Minnesota history with 162 career points.
Cameranesi is majoring in Agriculture and Food Business Management with a minor in Finance; her major is jointly coordinated by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Cameranesi's volunteer experience includes Hope Kids and the Gophers' annual Hope Day Festival, Special Olympics Minnesota, University of Minnesota Unlimited Dance Marathon, and University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
Frost on Cameranesi:
"Dani is quietly but effectively leaving her mark as she puts together one of the best individual seasons in college hockey. Dani is a relentless player who is willing and able to play in every single situation on the ice with passion and a work ethic that is unmatched. She has always been and has proven again this year to be one of the best overall two-way players in our game, and on top of that she has had a breakout offensive season this year. Her statistics speak for themselves - being at or near the top in most offensive categories. Her toughness and ability to battle through injuries is admirable, and Dani's tireless efforts in practice is contagious to her teammates. Dani's growth and maturity on the ice this season has been matched by her growth as a leader off the ice. She excels in the classroom, volunteers her time in the community, and has developed into one of the premier players in the entire country."
About the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. Selection criteria 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.
About Patty Kazmaier
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.
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