Capping off another phenomenal season at Clarkson, Elizabeth Giguere added to her resume as one of the top players all time in women’s college hockey by being named the winner of the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
Giguere is the 23rd winner of the prestigious honor that is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. The junior, right wing becomes the third Golden Knight to earn the Patty Kazmaier Award, joining Jamie Lee Rattray ’14 and Loren Gabel ’19 on the celebrated list of winners. She is the 10th winner from ECAC Hockey since the award was first given out in 1998.
Giguere was announced the winner today by the USA Hockey Foundation live on USA Hockey’s YouTube and Facebook channels. The Quebec City native was chosen for the honor from a group of three finalists that included Alina Mueller from Northeastern and Abby Roque from Wisconsin.
“It would be hard to say that any one player has elevated their game or put their team on their shoulders more than Elizabeth has this year,” stated Clarkson’s 12th-year Head Coach Matt Desrosiers. “What Elizabeth was able to do considering the amount of injuries we had suffered to some key contributors, was nothing short of remarkable. We have been fortunate to have had some great players come through our program at Clarkson, but Elizabeth has displayed the ability to do things on the ice that just make you shake your head in amazement. One of the best attributes she has shown is the capability to make everyone around her better. Elizabeth is a special player that had a special season and very deserving of the Patty Kazmaier award.”
The nation’s leading goal scorer and second in the country in points, Giguere followed up her spectacular first two seasons with another standout campaign in 2019-20. A junior right wing, she has scored 37 goals (seven more than any other player in Division I) and posted 66 points (tied for second in the country) through 37 games while leading Clarkson back to the ECAC Hockey Championship Tournament for the eight consecutive year. Clarkson finished with a 25-6-6 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Giguere tied for the nation lead in game-winning goals with 10 and tied for second in the country in shorthanded markers with three. She tallied four power-play goals and posted a +39 plus/minus. She finished season with 13-game point streak with 14 goals and 11 assists since January 24. Giguere tallied at least one point in 34 of the 37 games. She tallied eight, two-goal games and scored both goals for the Knights in 2-1 win over Princeton (2/15) at Cheel Arena. She scored all four Clarkson goals in 4-1 win at Harvard (2/21) to help Knights’ secure a top 4 finish in the league for the ninth consecutive season. She followed the next day with game-winning goal and one assist in 2-1 victory at Dartmouth (2/22). Giguere matched her career-high for points in a game with five on one goal and four assists in 6-5 overtime win against Robert Morris (10/19). She recorded a four-point game with two goals and two assists in 5-1 win over Dartmouth (1/24) in Potsdam. Giguere was selected ECAC Hockey’s Player of the Month for November and January and was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week twice (12/2, 1/27). She earned NCAA 1st Star of the Week (1/28) and 2nd Star of the Week (2/25) and was named Windjammer Classic MVP.
Giguere has amassed 210 career points on 90 goals and 120 assists through just 118 games and is just four points shy of breaking Clarkson’s all-time points mark of 213, currently held by 2019 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, Loren Gabel ’19.
