BU's Victoria Bach 1 of 3 Canadian finalists for NCAA hockey award
Will be the 8th time the honour has gone to a Canadian
The three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as player of the year in U.S. university women's hockey are from Canada, USA Hockey announced Thursday.
Boston University forward Victoria Bach of Milton, Ont., Clarkson University forward Loren Gabel of Exeter, Ont., and Boston College freshman forward Daryl Watts of Toronto are up for the award.
It is to be presented March 17 as part of the NCAA Women's Final Four weekend at the University of Minnesota.
Bach, a senior, led the NCAA in goals per game (1.20) and shots per game (6.63) while placing second in goals with 36 and third in points with 61. She set BU career records of 101 goals and 192 points.
Canada's Ann-Renee Desbiens won last year
Gabel tied for third in the NCAA with 29 goals and 61 points while leading the NCAA in plus-minus at plus-47. The junior tied Clarkson's single-season goals record set by 2014 Kazmaier Award winner Jamie Lee Rattray of Ottawa.
Watts was the top scorer with 40 goals and 79 points. She also led in points per game (2.32) and power play points (22) and was second to Gabel at plus-46.
One of the three will become the second Canadian to win in a row after Wisconsin goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens of La Malbaie, Que. It will be the eighth time it goes to a Canadian since it was inaugurated in 1998.
Other Canadian winners were Jennifer Botterill of Winnipeg in 2001 and 2003, Sara Bauer of St. Catharines, Ont. in 2006, Sarah Vaillancourt of Sherbrooke, Que., in 2008 and Vicki Bendus of Wasaga Beach, Ont., in 2010.