CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Harvard women's hockey team held its annual banquet Saturday at the Downtown Harvard Club. In addition to honoring its four graduating seniors, the program also announced the 2007-08 award winners and the 2008-09 team captains.

Rising seniors Jenny Brine, Kirsten Kester and Sarah Vaillancourt will serve as the captains during the 31st season of Harvard women's hockey. Vaillancourt and senior Caitlin Cahow shared Most Valuable Player honors, while Cahow was also named the Dooley Award winner. Rising junior Christina Kessler was the recipient of the Joe Bertagna Award, presented to the squad's most improved player.

Cahow and Vaillancourt shared the Most Valuable Player Award, annually presented to the most valuable member of the Harvard hockey team, determined not by ability, but by the qualities of sportsmanship, leadership and team cooperation.

Vaillancourt, the winner of the 2008 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the nation's top player, led the Crimson with 36 goals and 26 assists for 62 points. The ECAC, Ivy League and New England Women's Division I Player of the Year, Vaillancourt became the fifth Crimson player to win the Patty Kazmaier Trophy. Harvard has won the award six times in the 11 years of its existence. She finished fifth in the nation with 1.82 points per game and scored points in 30 of the 34 Harvard contests. Vaillancourt, an AHCA All-America First Team selection, also led the ECAC in points (40), goals (18) and assists (22). After only three seasons, Vaillancourt, a 2006 gold-medalist with Team Canada, currently stands eighth on Harvard's all-time scoring list with 185 points (81-104-185), is eighth on the school's goal list and is eighth in career assists. Vaillancourt recently earned a silver medal with Team Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women's Championship April 12, in Harbin, China.

Cahow (15-22-37) finished second in the nation in defenseman scoring with 1.09 points per contest and was honored as an AHCA All-American. She was also second with 12 power-play goals and was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. Cahow, a captain of the 2007-08 squad, anchored the nation's best scoring defense, which allowed only 1.00 goals per game, and registered 14 shutouts, a new program record. An All-Ivy League and All-ECAC First Team honoree, Cahow led the ECAC defensemen with 23 points (8-15-23) and was tied for first with seven power-play tallies. She also was named the ECAC Hockey Tournament Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game-winner in overtime against St. Lawrence to give Harvard its fifth ECAC tournament title. Cahow, who won the gold medal with Team USA at the IIHF World Championship last week, finishes her career with 113 points (31-82), tied with for 14th on the Harvard all-time scoring list with Brine. Cahow also succeeded in the classroom, earning ECAC All-Academic honors for the third straight year.

The Dooley Award is presented to the member of the Harvard women's hockey team who best combines the qualities of sportsmanship, enthusiasm and devotion to her team and to the game of ice hockey. John Dooley coached the Harvard women's hockey team from 1981-1994 and accumulated a career record of 162-115-11.

Kessler, Harvard's first ECAC Goaltender of the Year, earned the Joe Bertagna Award, as Harvard's most improved player. She was honored on the AHCA All-America Second Team after leading the nation in most major goaltending categories. An All-Ivy and All-ECAC First Team choice, the sophomore paced the nation in winning percentage (30-2-0, .938) and save percentage (679 of 713, .952). She was also second with a 1.06 goals-against average. Kessler set the NCAA Division I single-season shutout record with 12, after blanking Clarkson, 3-0, in the ECAC semifinals March 8. In conference action, Kessler surrendered only 16 goals in 20 games (1198 minutes) for a league best 0.80 goals-against average. She also topped the ECAC in save percentage (432 of 448, .964) and winning-percentage (20-0-0, 1.000).

Brine, an All-Ivy League honorable mention selection, finished second on the club with 43 points (20-23-43), moving to a tie for 14th on Harvard's all-time scoring list (61-52-113). She was tied for second in the nation with 12 power-play goals and centered the Crimson's top scoring line all season. Brine was named to the All-ECAC Tournament Team and to the ECAC All-Academic Team. Kester skated in all 34 games this year and was honored on the ECAC All-Academic Team for the second consecutive season.

Harvard finished the 2007-08 season 32-2-0 (22-0-0 ECAC Hockey, 10-0-0 Ivy League) and captured the 2008 Beanpot, and ECAC Hockey regular-season and tournament championships. The team became the first in ECAC history to finish the regular season and postseason perfect against conference opponents (27-0-0). The Crimson earned its fifth trip to the Frozen Four in the eight seasons of its existence and set an NCAA record with a 21-game winning streak.