Yup, you guessed it, women’s hockey again.

Early Thursday morning, the USA Hockey Foundation released this season’s Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalists.

While three Badgers – forwards Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight and Brianna Decker – were all under consideration, Duggan and Knight made it into the top 10. Noora R?ty of Minnesota and Laura Fortino from Minnesota-Duluth also represent the WCHA in the list of finalists.

The award is given to the nation’s best female hockey player (comparable to the men’s Hobey Baker Award). Criteria for the award include individual and team skills, sportsmanship, clutch performance, character, competitiveness and an overall love for hockey. The player’s academics and civic involvement are also considered.

While the nation’s best from each position are represented, Duggan leads the field, with Knight and Mercyhurst’s Meghan Agosta close behind her.

In her career, Duggan has played 154 games, accruing a total of 230 points off 104 goals and 126 assists. Duggan has also scored 31 power play goals, five short-handed goals and 14 game winning goals. She boasts a plus/minus of plus-160 while also only sitting in the penalty box 66 times in her four-year career at Wisconsin.

And she still has a few more games to play.

Knight does present a good challenge to Duggan with 111 goals, but she has only 85 assists for a total of 196 points. Of course, those 34 fewer points come with one fewer season played.

Looking at this season alone, Duggan trumps Knight and the other finalists.

Duggan and Agosta are tied at 79 points to lead the nation, but Duggan has two more goals. Again, Knight is close behind with 75 points (and Decker is right after her with 72).

Knight leads the nation in goals with 46, but she has only 29 assists on the season to Duggan’s 44.

Looking at stats alone, Duggan and Agosta seem close. Agosta may have an edge in that respect, due to the fact she has played fewer games, but coming out of the CHA, Agosta only faced 16 conference games against the likes of Robert Morris. Duggan played 28 conference games against some of the nation’s best teams.

Over winter break, Wisconsin and Mercyhurst faced off in St. Cloud, Minn. Wisconsin won 7-4. Agosta had a goal and an assist against UW freshman goaltender Alex Rigsby, while Duggan also scored a goal and posted an assist. But as a whole, Wisconsin was just too much for Mercyhurst.

Sure, Agosta is keeping the race close for the award, but when it comes right down to it, the numbers Duggan has put up in the WCHA stand out more than the numbers Agosta has put up in the CHA.

As I’ve mentioned before, the WCHA – especially on the women’s side – is to hockey what the SEC is in football.

Week in and week out, Duggan plays some of the toughest teams in the nation. Right now, there are four WCHA teams in the top 10, while Mercyhurst is the only top 10 team in the CHA at No. 4 – behind both No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 3 Minnesota.

Thursday night Duggan was named the WCHA Player of the Year after posting 61 points off of 27 goals and 34 assists through 28 conference games. Being named the player of the year out of the nation’s toughest conference proves Duggan is one of the best players in the country, if not the best.

Agosta’s stats are impressive, but playing in a league where the competition isn’t exactly the strongest makes it a little easier to put up such good stats.

Take last year’s Heisman Trophy race, for example. Kellen Moore may have had an impressive season, but playing in the WAC how do you not post impressive stats? No harm to Moore, but it’s no wonder why Cam Newton won. He ultimately led his team to the national championship coming out of the SEC, so of course his stats looked more impressive.

But beyond the ice, Duggan is also one of the most appreciative and humble players in the league.

Although she hates to lose, she also puts her team first, leading by example.

“This place has given me everything and more,” Duggan said before senior day. “It’s changed my life a lot in the last four years. I owe everything I’ve been through to Wisconsin, the program, the staff and everything.”

A few weekends ago Duggan broke UW’s points record of 220 points against Minnesota State Feb. 18, breaking the record with three assists in that game. Duggan had two goals and five assists in the record-breaking series.

Duggan would rather share the puck and create better opportunities for her team to score and ultimately win than keep track of her total goals on the season.

Sure, Agosta and Knight have also had strong, impressive seasons, but Duggan outshines them not only with a slight edge in stats – especially coming out of the WCHA – but also in her leadership and presence on the ice.

Duggan’s one of the nation’s best, and she is the perfect candidate to bring the Patty Kazmaier Award back to Wisconsin.

Kelly is a sophomore
intending to major in journalism. Do you think the Patty Kazmaier Award will
return to Wisconsin? Send her your thoughts at [email protected]