PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 27, 2004) -- The USA Hockey Foundation today announced that Angela Ruggiero (Harper Woods, Mich.), a senior forward from Harvard University, has been selected as the recipient of The 2004 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Ruggiero is the second honoree to be named a Top 10 Finalist in each of her four years of collegiate hockey. She was also named a Top Three Finalist in 2003.
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is given annually to the women's intercollegiate varsity ice hockey player who displays the highest standards of personal and team excellence during the season.
“This honor caps an amazing collegiate career for Angela, who is not only an outstanding player, but a tremendous person.,” said USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio (Salem, N.H.) “She is a distinguished athlete at Harvard University and is recognized as an extraordinary competitor throughout the nation. We are proud to present her with this award.”
Ruggiero was recognized at a dinner held earlier this evening here at the Westin Providence Hotel. She was chosen from a group of three finalists that also included senior goaltender Chanda Gunn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) from Northeastern University, and senior forward Jenny Potter (Eagan, Minn.) from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Ruggiero and the other finalists for The 2004 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award were chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of women's intercollegiate varsity ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey, the National Governing Body for the sport of hockey in the United States.
Candidates for the award must compete for a women's intercollegiate varsity ice hockey team at an NCAA-member institution. Other selection criteria include 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.
This season Ruggiero finished the regular season as the nation’s leading scorer among defensemen, notching 1.73 points per game. She captained the Crimson to the ECAC co-regular-season title and the Ivy League title, and a No. 1 seed in the ECAC playoffs. Ruggiero finished conference play ranked second in scoring by a defenseman, with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists). She was named the Ivy League Player of the Year for her efforts, and was a first team All-Ivy selection for the fourth time in her collegiate career.
In ECAC playoff action, Ruggiero recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in games against Brown University and St. Lawrence University to help Harvard advance to the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four semifinal round.
Ruggiero carries a 3.30 grade-point average and is majoring in government. She is a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation and is Co-Chair of the Harvard Radcliffe Foundation. She is also a long-time member of the U.S. Women’s
National Team, and was a member of the 1998 and 2002 U.S. Women’s Olympic Teams, winning gold and silver, respectively. Ruggiero is the daughter of Bill and Karen Ruggiero.
Ruggiero was presented with a Tiffany & Co. custom-designed trophy, which was crafted by Skylight Studios in Woburn, Mass. The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League honoree for the Princeton University women's ice hockey team from 1981-82 through 1985-86. An accomplished athlete who excelled in ice hockey, field hockey and lacrosse, 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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