Moon Township, Pa. - Sophomore Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) and freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) of the Robert Morris University women's hockey team were both named to the list of the final 30 nominees for the 15th annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award announced USA Hockey in a recent release.
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey.
Robert Morris was one of just nine schools to have multiple nominees on the list. All of the other eight schools to have multiple nominees this year are currently ranked as the top eight teams in the national polls. RMU was the only school that had at least two student-athletes selected who were either sophomores or freshmen.
Additionally, Vint is just one of three freshmen that advanced to the list of 30 nominees.
Vint and Imbrogno were chosen after helping Robert Morris shatter its program record win total while ranking first and second on the team in goals, assists and points.
Vint has broken nearly every significant offensive single-season record during her rookie season at Robert Morris. She sits among the top 25 nationally in both goals per game (.7) and points per game (1.4) and is tied for third nationally among rookies in goals. She also leads the CHA and ranks among the top 10 nationally in game-winning goals. Vint has collected 13 multi-point games on the season, including four games with at least three points. Earlier this season, Vint became the first Colonial ever to score in six straight games and also produced a school-record 12-game point streak. With her honor from College Hockey America (CHA) earlier this week, she also broke RMU's record for the most in-season awards earned in a single campaign.
Imbrogno ranks among the top 40 nationally in points per game, goals per game and assists per game and has surpassed her freshman-year totals in all three categories. With two points this past Saturday, Imbrogno moved into sole possession of second place on RMU's single-season points list. The sophomore has now produced 10 multi-point outings this season and also sports a +14 plus/minus. Imbrogno has also proven to be quite efficient offensively this season as she has scored on nearly 20 percent of the shots which she has taken (.195). She has notched three game-winning scores this season, including one with under one minute remaining in regulation at nationally-ranked Mercyhurst to end the Lakers' 28-game conference unbeaten streak.
The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman for Princeton 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.
Robert Morris concluded its regular season this past Saturday with a thrilling multi-goal rally to tie nationally-ranked Mercyhurst. The Colonials broke their program record for wins in 2011-12 with 17 and also posted their highest ever finish in the conference standings.
RMU will host the upcoming CHA Tournament in which it will be the second seed. The Colonials will play either Syracuse or Niagara Friday, March 2, at a time to be determined.
