Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey has been named the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner. Harvey becomes the seventh student-athlete from Wisconsin and the 11th Western Collegiate Hockey Association representative to earn the honor. The honor, which is awarded annually to the top player in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey by The USA Hockey Foundation. 

Harvey and the Badgers will be playing for the national title on Sunday, March 22, at 3 PM CT after yesterday's 4-3 overtime win against Penn State in the NCAA Semifinals. The Badger blueliner ranks first among all NCAA defenders in points (63), goals (18), and assists (45) this season. Harvey was also named the WCHA's Player of the Year and Defender of the Year along with earning First-Team All-WCHA honors. 

Throughout her senior season, Harvey has been recognized with a myriad of awards, including six WCHA Defender of the Week, four WCHA Defender of the Month and three HCA Defender of the Month honors. Off the ice, Harvey volunteers in the Madison, Wisconsin, community with the Special Olympics, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Ronald McDonald House and local Madison elementary schools.

The WCHA is now home to 11 previous Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients, as Harvey has become the league's fourth honoree in the last five years with Wisconsin's O'Brien (2025), Ohio State's Sophie Jaques (2023), and Minnesota's Taylor Heise (2022). 

Past WCHA Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winners
2005 - Krissy Wendell, Minnesota 
2006 - Sara Bauer, Wisconsin
2009 - Jessie Vetter, Wisconsin
2011 - Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin 
2012 - Brianna Decker, Wisconsin
2013 - Amanda Kessel, Minnesota
2017 - Ann-Renée Desbiens, Wisconsin
2022 - Taylor Heise, Minnesota
2023 - Sophie Jaques, Ohio State
2025 - Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin
2026 - Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. Selection criteria includes 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. For a full list of previous honorees, click HERE.

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

For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league on X and Instagram @WCHA_WHockey, and online at wcha.com