Mleczko Named Kazmaier Finalist

With the No. 1 ranking in the country and three Olympians on the squad, there is more than enough for the Harvard women's hockey team to celebrate.

Now they have another reason.

Co-captain A.J. Mleczko, an Olympic gold medalist for the United States and a two-time All-Ivy selection, is one step closer to yet another accolade.

She is one of three finalists vying for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given annually to the top women's collegiate hockey player in the country.

The award will be presented on March 25, in a ceremony in St. Paul, Minn.

In leading the Crimson to a 29-1-0 mark this year, Mleczko has set numerous personal and school records.

She set both the Harvard men's and women's single-season and career scoring records, and the points keep coming.

Mleczko has tallied 32 goals and 72 assists so far this season to lead the nation with 104 points. She has 123 goals and 124 assists for 247 points in her career.

She broke the women's NCAA single-season scoring record earlier this year, surpassing Cornell's Cindy Schlaepher's 89 points in 1976-77. Mleczko is closing in on the overall single-season mark of 116 points set by North Dakota's Tony Hicks in 1986-87.

She has worked for a point in every game this season and with a four-goal, three-assist performance, her highest game was against Yale on March 7.

The other two finalists for the award are Brown's Ali Brewer and New Hampshire's Nicki Luongo.