While Ohio State defenseman Sophie Jaques did not win the Patty Kazmaier Award for her historic season leading the Buckeyes to a national title, she was named this week as the national women’s college hockey player of the year by USCHO.
Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall was also named as the national women’s hockey coach of the year by USCHO.
.@_sophiejaques Coach Muzerall
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 31, 2022
2022 @USCHO award winners#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SDG6AosYtY
Jaques earns national player of the honors after scoring 59 points – 11 more than any other defenseman during the 2021-22 season and the second-most of any true defenseman in the last 20 years – for the title-winning Buckeyes. During her appearance on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, Muzerall said she was “very upset” that Jaques did not win the Patty Kazmaier Award, believing her star player was clearly deserving of the award.
“There’s only been one defenseman that has won that award ... what are we telling defensemen about this award?” Muzerall said. “What hope is there for a defenseman to ever be crowned, to feel like they are the best in the country?”
Now, Jaques at least has one national player of the year award to her name. Muzerall, meanwhile, earns national coach of the year honors after leading Ohio State to its first women’s hockey national championship in her sixth season leading the program.
