WAKEFIELD, Mass. - USA Hockey announced today that four league players, including Boston College's Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.), Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich.), and Hayley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.) and Northeastern's Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) as Top-10 finalists for the 2016 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given annually to the nation's best female college hockey player.

Carpenter, the 2015 Patty Kaz winner, has captained the Boston College Eagles to just the second undefeated regular season in NCAA history, helping her squad to a perfect 34-0-0 record. Carpenter has the Eagles throughout the season and is ranked first in the NCAA with 76 points and 38 assists. Carpenter also set the all-time Hockey East career assists record in 2015-16, helping on 84 goals while scoring 76 for 160 career points, second all time in league history. Entering the post season, Carpenter is riding a 10-game point streak that includes six multi-point games. She was named Warrior Hockey Player of the Week a record eight times this season (Oct. 5, Oct. 13, Oct. 26, Nov. 9, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Feb. 8) and Warrior Hockey Player of the Month in November and December. She assisted the Eagles in capturing the fifth Beanpot title in program history in February. Currently, the senior forward leads the NCAA in assists (38), points (76), power-play assists (15), power-play points (22), hat tricks (4), faceoffs won (507) and faceoff percentage (70.6%).

Coyne spent her final year in a Husky uniform obliterating the Hockey East record books, setting new standards for career points (167), career goals (91), single-season points (55), single season goals (30), points per game (2.39), and goals per game (1.30) while finishing her career ranked second all-time in career assists (76) and third all-time in single- season assists (25). The U.S. Olympian's 30 goals and 55 points in league play this year surpassed the previous best marks by five goals and seven points while she finished with 39 more points in career regular season play than anyone in league history prior to 2015-16, during which season three players broke the Kelli Stack's mark of 133 points set in 2011. Coyne was named Warrior Hockey Player of the Week six times (Sept. 28, Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, Jan. 18) and twice named Warrior Hockey Player of the Month (Sept./Oct., Jan.). Coyne currently leads the NCAA in goals (44), goals per game (1.33), points per game (2.27), short-handed goals (4), hat tricks (4), plus-minus (+59), shots on goal (309) and shots per game (9.36) while her 75 points rank second in the nation. She was named a Top-10 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Finalist in February for the third time in her career.

Keller currently leads the Boston College Eagles, Hockey East and the NCAA in points (44) and assists (32) among defensemen. Keller backed her squad to a perfect 34-0-0 record and a first place finish in the Hockey East regular season standings entering the postseason tournament. The second-year blueliner set single-season Hockey East defensemen records for points (29) and assists (24) in 2015-16, breaking 10-year-old marks. She also picked up 13 multi-point outings, is second in the nation in plus-minus (+56), and leads the NCAA in power-play helpers (15). Six of her assists were game-winning contributions. In February, Keller helped blank both opponents in the Beanpot which led to the fifth title in Boston College program history. The sophomore picked up three Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 13, Nov. 30, Feb. 22). Keller finished the season at the top of the NCAA defensemen leader board in assists per game (.94), points per game (1.29), power-play points (19) and goals per shots on goal (.158).

This is the second consecutive Top-10 Patty Kazmaier nomination for Skarupa. Skarupa is ranked second in the NCAA in assists (37) and power-play goals (9) and is ranked third in the NCAA in points (66) and goals (29). Entering the post season, Skarupa is riding a 10-game point streak. She has collected an NCAA-high seven game-winning goals entering the postseason. Warrior Hockey Player of the Week honors went to Skarupa twice this season (Dec. 14, Jan. 11) during a campaign in which she surpassed all three previous Hockey East records to finish ranked third all-time in Hockey East points (141) and goals (73) and fourth in assists (68) behind only Coyne and Carpenter, who sit first and second in all three categories, and Sam Faber's 70 career assists. In Eagles history, Skarupa is ranked second in career points (231), career assists (122), career shots on goal (109), and career plus-minus (+173). This season alone, Skarupa collected two hat tricks, 15 power-play points, 19 multi-point games, and a plus-50 rating. Skarupa tallied Hockey East single game highs in goals (4) and assists (5).

ABOUT THE AWARD: 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. Other selection criteria include 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 more information, visit PattyKaz.com.