Danielle Serdachny of Colgate women’s hockey is the runner-up for the this year’s Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for top NCAA Division I women’s hockey player. She is one of several local college hockey players and coaches honored in recent days.

Two Hamilton College women’s hockey players — Nancy Loh and Abby Kuhns — were named All-Americans. Utica University head hockey coach Gary Heenan and defenseman Jayson Dobay are both award finalists.

Serdachny tallied 25 goals and 46 assists for a career-high 71 points, leading the nation in points per game with an average of 1.78. She also ranked first in game-winning goals with six, goals per game with 0.62 and second in the nation in assists per game with 1.15. 

The Edmonton, Alberta native has 60 goals and 118 assists for a program-high 178 points. She was recently named to Canada’s world championship team for this upcoming summer, making her the first active player in program history to make the roster. 

Serdachny is the first player in program history to crack the top three for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

The senior forward is the co-founder and mentor to the Rising Raiders youth mentorship program for girls hockey players in New York State age 7-14. In the community, Serdachny is the organizer for Colgate’s Inclusive learn to skate program for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Serdachny broke multiple records, en route to being named ECAC Hockey Player and Forward of the Year for the second time in her career. She won both awards in 2021. She was also named to the All-ECAC Hockey first team for the second time in her career. Serdachny was awarded the inaugural Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award winner, an honor given to an ECAC Hockey student-athlete (men’s or women’s) who demonstrates the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship; displays the utmost respect for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials, as well as the game/sport; and encourages all individuals to demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical conduct inside and outside of the competition setting.

“We cannot overstate how proud we are of Danielle for the exceptional year she had on and off the ice at Colgate. Her unwavering dedication to her team, her community, and her sport is truly remarkable, and her impact will be felt for years to come. We are grateful for the example she sets and the inspiration she provides, and we know that this is only the beginning of a bright future for Danielle” said head coach Greg Fargo.

Pioneers are both finalists

Dobay has been named a finalist for the 2022-23 Sid Watson Award, given to AHCA Division II-III Men’s Player of the Year, as announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association on Monday.

Seventeen players have been named finalists for the award.

Dobay, who was named the UCHC Defensive Player of the year as well as to the All-UCHC first team, scored five goals and tied the program record for the most assists in a season with 32. He tallied at least one point in 18 of the team’s 29 games and recorded three or more assists four times including a career high five against Lebanon Valley on Jan. 21.

The award honors the memory of former Bowdoin College head coach and athletic director Sid Watson. A three-time AHCA Coach of the Year, he served Bowdoin for more than 30 years, winning 326 games in 24 seasons as head coach.

Heenan has been named an AHCA Coach of the Year finalist for guiding the team through a record season including tying the program record in wins with 25. The team also set a program record going a perfect 20-0-0 in conference play including being the No. 1 ranked team in the USCHO poll for the first time in program history. This year marked the second consecutive season that Utica has reached the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. The team also won a second-straight UCHC championship and its fourth overall in six seasons in the conference.

All-American Continentals

Loh and Kuhns are both Section III products, having attended Fayetteville-Manlius and Skaneateles, respectively.

The two seniors were selected 2022-23 American Hockey Coaches Association Women’s Division III All-Americans.

Kuhns is one of six athletes on the first team in the East Region while Loh is one of six players on the second team in the East. The All-America honor is the first for both and brings the total to six in Hamilton women’s hockey team history. Five Continentals have made the All-America team.

Kuhns – a defender – was voted the New England Small College Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She is tied for the team lead with 15 assists and is third with 22 points in 29 games. Six of her seven goals have been scored on the power play. She led the Continentals with a plus-minus rating of plus-25 and in blocked shots with 33.

Loh, a left wing, led the team with 21 goals, including eight game-winning tallies, and 27 points in 29 games. She was 15th in Division III in goals per game and tied for first in game-winners. Her plus-minus rating was plus-15. The 21 goals are the most scored by a Continental since Katie Zimmerman finished with the same amount 10 seasons ago. Loh is fifth all-time at Hamilton with 56 goals. She also has 40 assists for 96 points in 103 games.