MADISON, Wis. — A University of Wisconsin-Madison student-athlete is guaranteed to win a prestigious women’s hockey award this year, with all three finalists playing for the Badgers.

Fifth-year Casey O’Brien, junior Caroline Harvey and junior Laila Edwards are all finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. The annual award is given to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. According to its website, the selection committee also considers academic performance, "individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey."

This was the second time in the award’s 28-year history that the top-three finalists all came from the same school, with the other time being the University of Minnesota in 2013.

The winner will be announced March 22. Once announced, Wisconsin will be tied with Harvard for the most wins, with both universities producing winning athletes six times.

O’Brien is the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Player of the Year, and is the nation’s leader with 83 points and 58 assists for the season. Currently, she is tied second for points per season in Wisconsin's history. She is only five points away from breaking the record. She has previously set UW records for most career points and assists, as well as assists per season. 

Harvey has been the WCHA Defender of the Year for the last two seasons. She currently has 58 points this season, more than any other NCAA defender, and ranked fifth overall.

Edwards is currently ranked second-best for goals in a season and is tied for second for points this season. She is only the seventh player in UW history to score 30 goals in a season.

The award ceremony will air live March 22 at 11:30 a.m. on the NHL Network.