COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Senior forward Loren Gabel (Kitchener, Ont./Clarkson University), senior blueliner Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston College) and senior forward Annie Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif./University of Wisconsin) have been named the top-three finalists for the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, it was announced today by the USA Hockey Foundation.

The 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be presented at a brunch ceremony at Cascade Fine Catering in Hamden, Conn., on Saturday, March 23, as part of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four weekend hosted by Quinnipiac University.

SELECTION PROCESS
The selection process commenced earlier this month when NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by multiple coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was sent back to the coaches to vote for the top-10 finalists. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.

The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, were then 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 representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

Notes: Tickets to the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased at PattyKaz.com. Individual seats to the event are $65, while tables of 10 are available for $600. A select number of sponsorships and program advertisements are also available.