This article has been updated.
Whenever the puck found the stick of Izzy Daniel over the course of the 2023-24 season, fans of women’s hockey expected brilliance. The senior forward’s advantage over seemingly everyone else on the ice in speed, strength and vision made it seem almost disappointing if the Red didn’t end up with an opportunity with Daniel on the ice.
Now, after receiving adoration and awards from her conference, Daniel has been recognized nationally for her brilliant season. In a presentation ceremony at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four, Daniel was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, becoming the first winner in Cornell program history and only the second-ever top-three finisher.
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s really set in for me yet,” Daniel said. “It was a tremendous honor and I was really humbled and grateful to receive the award,” she added.
The “Patty Kaz,” as the award is more commonly referred to, is awarded annually by the USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division 1 Women’s Ice Hockey. The award selection committee — made up of coaches, media members and USA Hockey representatives — takes into account “individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey” when selecting the recipient, according to PattyKaz.com. Academics and civic involvement are also taken into account.
Although Cornell has one of the most storied men’s and women’s hockey programs in the nation, it has never produced a winner of either the Patty Kazmaier or Hobey Baker (the men’s hockey equivalent) awards until now.
“There [have] been so many amazing players [that have] come through this program [including] several Olympic gold medalists and All-Americans and all these amazing players,” Daniel said. “So to be the first [to win the Patty Kazmaier], … I am extremely proud and it’s just a testament of all those players and what they did before me and creating such a great program and a tradition of excellence.”
Alongside the Patty Kaz award, Daniel has racked up the accolades as her season concluded. She took home the Ivy League player of the year, ECAC forward of the year and ECAC player of the year awards. She was also named to the All-Ivy and All-ECAC first teams.
Daniel’s stats, while extremely impressive, tell only a fraction of the story. As of March 23, Daniel is second in the nation in assists per game (1.12), third in points per game (1.74) and seventh in goals per game (0.62).
Daniel led the Red in goals with 21 and assists with 38, which is 20 more than the next closest teammate. Her 59 points made up 18 percent of the Red’s 326 season points total. She tied Cornell’s single-season assist record since 2001, previously set by Brianne Jenner during the 2011-12 campaign.
“I think it was just my confidence. … I got off to a good start of the season and then I think just carrying that confidence and consistency throughout really helped me,” Daniel said when asked what made this season so successful. “I was just trying to take it day by day and really cherish my last season in a Cornell jersey.”
Daniel led Cornell to fourth place in the ECAC regular season, the semifinals of the ECAC tournament and the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.
Daniel, a Minnesota native, played in 125 games across her four years at Cornell, totaling 51 goals, 107 assists and 158 points. Daniel finished her Cornell career fifth in program history (stretching back to 1972) in assists and eighth in points. In the team’s NCAA era (starting in 2001), Daniel ranks third in assists, fifth in points and ninth in goals.
Though her time donning the Carnelian and White is over, Daniel isn’t done yet –– earlier this month, Daniel was invited to participate in the 2024 U.S. Women’s National Team evaluation camp in Lake Placid alongside fellow Cornellians sophomore defenseman Grace Dwyer, freshman goaltender Annelies Bergmann and junior defenseman Rory Guilday.
“I am really looking forward to the opportunity,” Daniel said. “This is my second U.S. camp so I think I’m going to be a little more comfortable this time around. … I’m certainly happy and honored that they invited me.”
After graduation, Daniel plans on playing in the PWHL and publicly stated for the first time after the award ceremony that she would declare for the league’s draft this year. She is widely expected to be a top pick in this summer’s draft.
Daniel said she doesn’t have a preference for which team will draft her.
“I want to play where I am wanted. So, if I’m lucky enough to get drafted, I’ll be excited for whoever drafts me,” Daniel said.