Julie Chu Wins Kazmaier Award As Nation's Top Player

Lake Placid, NY -- Senior forward Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) - a two-time Olympic medalist and member of the U.S. national women's ice hockey team since 2000 - added another distinction to her resume Saturday as she was chosen as the winner of the 2007 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the nation's top collegiate player.

  The award, given annually by the USA Hockey Foundation since 1998, was presented at a brunch ceremony at the Hilton Lake Placid in Lake Placid, N.Y. Chu was chosen for this year's award from a group of three finalists that included 2006 winner Sara Bauer of Wisconsin and Mercyhurst freshman Meghan Agosta. It is chosen by a 13-member selection committee that includes coaches, media members and a representative from USA Hockey.

Chu becomes the fourth different Harvard player to win the award, while her selection marks the fifth time in the 10-year history of the honor that it has gone to a Crimson player. A.J. Mleczko '97-99 was the winner in 1999, Jennifer Botterill '02-03 won in 2001 and 2003, and Angela Ruggiero '02-04 won in 2004.

"In my 13 years of coaching at Harvard, no one has distinguished herself more than Julie," said Harvard head coach Katey Stone. "Her commitment to her teammates, coaches and school far exceeds that of any of her predecessors. She is a gifted athlete and a true humanitarian."

Chu, who was a top-10 finalist for the 2005 Kazmaier Award, was the Ivy League player of the year and a unanimous first team All-ECAC Hockey League pick as a senior as she finished the year ranked first nationally in points per game (2.20), assists (48) and assists per game (1.60). She had at least one point in 27 of the 30 games in which she played, and she finished her playing career at Harvard with a school-record 196 career assists.

Chu will graduate in third place on Harvard's career scoring chart with 88 goals and 196 assists for 284 points in 129 games. Her point total ranks first in NCAA history, while she is a three-time All-America selection - including a first-team pick this season. Chu has been named to the All-ECACHL first team three times in her four-year career.

Away from the ice, Chu volunteers at the UniLu homeless shelter and is a member of Harvard's student-athlete advisory committee. She is active with Athletes in Action and the Women's Sports Foundation. She is a psychology concentrator at Harvard.

PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD WINNERS
1998 Brandy Fisher , New Hampshire
1999 A.J. Mleczko, Harvard
2000 Ali Brewer, Brown
2001 Jennifer Botterill, Harvard
2002 Brooke Whitney, Northeastern
2003 Jennifer Botterill, Harvard
2004 Angela Ruggiero, Harvard
2005 Krissy Wendell, Minnesota
2006 Sara Bauer, Wisconsin
2007 Julie Chu, Harvard

NOTES: Julie Chu is the fifth Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner from Harvard (A.J. Mleczko-1999, Jennifer Botterill-2001 & 2003, Angela Ruggiero-2004) . The 2007 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Brunch was held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four, which will conclude with the championship game tomorrow (March 18) at 1 p.m. EDT at the Lake Placid Olympic Center . The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient is chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of NCAA Division I women's ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media and a representative of USA Hockey, the National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States . The Kazmaier Award is supported in part by a grant from the National Hockey League Foundation.

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey each season. 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.

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