Forward Loren Gabel of Kitchener has won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
She was honoured on Saturday as the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey.
“Words can’t describe what I was feeling in the moment,” said Gabel. “It still is an amazing feeling and definitely a dream come true.”
The 21-year-old has led the Clarkson University Golden Knights to four “Frozen Four” appearances and two back-to-back national championships.
She is also a two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and Clarkson’s all-time leading scorer.
Gabel began her career in Kitchener learning how to skate and shoot at her father’s business: G & G Skate Training Centre.
“We’ve seen her hard work,” said Gabel’s Dad Larry. “We’ve seen what she does in the summer time. We’ve seen what she does in school. We hear what she does in practices.”
She was able to first build her foundation playing, and excelling, in boys and girls leagues.
“She just worked so hard at improving her overall play all the time,” said former coach Jim Farwell.
“Her skating was unbelievable. Her stick handling, her puck control was phenomenal,” said former coach Jeff Smith. “She was one of the better players in the whole league that year being an underage girl.”
Gabel has been back every summer coaching and training young players at her Dad’s business.
“I was in their shoes at one point when I was little too,” she said. “I looked up to multiple players.
“Hopefully the younger kids that look at me as a role model have that goal in mind too.”
She adds that her goal is to eventually play professionally.
The Golden Knights season came to an end on Friday, but Gabel plans to keep skating this summer representing Canada during the World Championships in April.
She will be in Toronto on Tuesday to practice with Team Canada before heading to Finland next weekend.
She’s also represented Canada when they won silver at the 2018 Four Nations Cup.
