The IX: Hockey Friday with Erica L. Ayala, March 27, 2020
The Patty Kaz goes to ... - Interview with Élizabeth Giguère - Must-click WoHo links
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Your 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winner is …
It was an exciting 2019-2020 NCAA season. Cornell had an impressive season and earned the #1 seed heading into the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Northeastern won the Beanpot. Princeton took out the Big Red in 2OT to win their first-ever ECAC title.
And today, ÉlizabethGiguère (Junior Forward, Clarkson University) was announced as the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner.
Giguère cracked the Top 3 in the Patty Kaz race for the first time. She becomes the third Clarkson alumna to win the top honor in NCAA Division I women’s hockey, following her former teammate and 2019 Patty Kaz winner Loren Gabel and 2014 winner Jamie Lee Rattray.
“It would be hard to say that any one player has elevated their game or put their team on their shoulders more than Élizabeth has this year,” said Clarkson women’s ice hockey head coach Matt Desrosiers in the press release. “We have been fortunate to have had some great players come through our program, but Élizabeth 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.”
More from Élizabeth Giguère below.
Giguere scored 37 goals in the 2019-20 season, including 10 game-winning goals, which tied for tops in the nation. She was second in the NCAA with 66 points and her 1.78 points per game average was third best in DI women’s ice hockey this season.
Last year, I spoke to Serena Sandt, daughter of Kazmaier. She spoke beautifully about her mother’s legacy. At the time, I wrote that Sandt and Minnesota head coach Brad Frost reminded me about the important things.
It was a nice way down memory lane. I spent the first week of social distancing grieving for what I couldn’t do. This week, I am more thankful for what we still can do! I’ve never spoken to Giguère before, but her fun-loving attitude was a perfect way to wrap a second week of social distancing.
This week in Women’s Hockey
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Five at The IX: Élizabeth Giguère
The IX joined the conference call with the 2020 Patty Kaz winner this afternoon. Here are some quotes from the Zoom video conference.
Reporter: First of all, just what was the experience like what was it because I know you were there last year when Loren (Gabel) one what was the experience like kind of watching here and … what kind of conversation or just a moment that you kind of shared with her?
Yeah. Well, last year I had no idea how it was going to go. I had no idea what the brunch was like, I’ve never been. When we got there and sat there as a team …supporting her as a team was really, really fun. To be there and seeing her there with her family and the President of our school, the coaches and everything, it was just fun to be there with. When she got called (up) to go and won that award, you should have seen our tables in the back screaming and being so happy for her.
Being there with her was just amazing and this year. I mean yeah I’m here alone. I’ve got family with me and it’s fun, but the fact that a lot of people, my phone has been blowing up, (people are) reaching out to me. Even if they can’t be here with me I know they’re happy for me and I see all the comments and everything, so it’s fun. I wish (Loren) would have been there like I was there for her, but I know she’s proud of me and it’s fun.
What was it like you who did you watch with at your home? What was the day and kind of the ceremony … like for you?
Um, I had a bunch of people, family and stuff. My parents that together, I had my mom calling me and my little brother and (other) people because we’re all in different places, in quarantine and stuff. But I had a bunch of people in my phone, and then on my computer and then we had it on the screen so I was all virtual, but it was fun. Yeah, and also a little side note, my little brother doesn’t speak English, so when I did my speech, at the end he asked, ‘Did she say thank you to her family’?
Erica L. Ayala: I want to switch gears a little bit, you mentioned that your family is all over the place. Of course this is an unprecedented time right now for all of the world. Can you describe, from leaving the ECAC Tournament to today, what that process has been like for you?
Yeah, I mean (sighs), it’s been, I don’t know it’s been a long. I don’t know, it’s been a long day today (laughs). I woke up and I was kind of nervous and people were reaching out to me like you said, My family is kind of all over the place so they’re reaching out to me and asking me the link all this stuff and it was kind of overwhelming. But then once we got so and like, people were already ready to watch an hour before I was on (laughs). And we called each other a lot. My team was on a zoom meeting, then my family and then all the people around me so it was kind of a chaotic.
Erica L. Ayala: Getting announced as the Patty Kaz winner for 2020 must be a highlight. Has that helped with the transition, such a quick transition, from no NCAA Tournament to having to leave school (because of the COVID-19 pandemic)?
Yeah, um, it was kind of a quick transition, like you said. And the fact that, I don’t know if you guys know, but Clarkson had to travel to Wisconsin. We were already there, when (the NCAA Tournament) got canceled. So that was a quick turnover time and then we didn’t have the tournament and we were all disappointed.
Seasons were ending for seniors and all that. And then, for sure at first I didn’t really think about the Patty Kazmaier Award because in my head I was like, I don’t even get the chance to participate for a championship again. And a couple of days after my whole team and my coaches were like well at least we got this still, we hope. I(t) was fun for me and they’ve been so happy all week to for this since we like, we know that it was today they were, they were so happy for me and then today it was just fun and they’re still talking to me on my phone like right now send me (laughs) a bunch of messages. So it’s just fun, even though we didn’t have the tournament.
Nathan Vaughn: So you had an amazing year so far amazing career. Do you feel any pressure going next year to keep up the performance you’ve given such an award like this?
Pressure? No, because I mean … people ask me they the exact same question last year when Loren left they were like, ‘Do you feel more pressure?’ I mean I don’t. I just feel like, I’m yes I need to step up my game and stuff, but a lot of people do on the team. I think I don’t feel pressure because every year I play to have fun. I really … I have fun every day on yes and, I mean, I don’t think I will have a lot of pressure. But for sure I will get everything I have for my team next year and try to compete for another championship, and if the personal stats come with, they come with. But, I don’t feel pressure. No.
