DURHAM, N.H. – Cornell University forward Izzy Daniel (Minneapolis, Minn.) was named the winner of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award today during a live ceremony on NHL Network at Whittemore Center Arena as part of Saturday at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.

Daniel is the first Cornell University player to win the honor, which is presented annually by the USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.

The senior captain’s impressive season helped lead the Big Red to a 25-8-1 record and a NCAA Regional Final appearance.

The ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and Forward of the Year concluded her season with 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists). She averaged 1.74 points per game, which is third nationally and tops in ECAC Hockey, and is among the top-10 in the country in both assists per game (1.12) and goals per game (0.62).

She was named the HCA National Forward of the Month for November and is a three-time ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week this season.

Off the ice, Daniel is pursuing a degree in industrial and labor relations and holds a 3.59 GPA. She is heavily involved in raising awareness for mental health initiatives, including fundraising for the Do It For Daron campaign. Additionally, she volunteers as a big sister mentor for the Tompkins Girls Hockey Association Cub Club, volunteers for Feed my Starving Children, Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Family program.

Daniel was selected as the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient from a group of three finalists that included senior forward Casey O’Brien (Milton, Mass./University of Wisconsin) and sophomore forward Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Mich./University of Wisconsin).

NOTES: Daniel is the 27th recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award … The recipient of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media and an at-large member and representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

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. For a full list of previous honorees, click HERE.

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 Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.