COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — While the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s hockey team could make history again on Sunday, one of its players has made her own history on Saturday.

Graduate defender Sophie Jaques was given the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top women’s college ice hockey player this season. She is the first Buckeye to win the award and first defender to be named the top player in the country since 2004.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award,” Jaques said in a release from the program. “I am grateful to be a recipient of an award named after the incredible athlete, scholar and human being, Patty Kazmaier. While this is an individual award, I have been supported by a whole team of people throughout this season and my career at Ohio State, and I owe this all to my coaches and teammates over the last five years. Receiving this award is something I never even could have imagined was possible.”

Jaques has had another outstanding season in Scarlet & Grey as a top defender and point producer on offense. She has helped Ohio State to allow less than two goals per game this season while scoring a team high 24 goals and notching 24 assists for 48 points.

On Saturday, the Canadian did not get on the score sheet but had three blocks and a +/- of 1 in the Buckeyes’ 3-0 win over Northeastern in the Frozen Four semifinals. Ohio State will play Wisconsin Sunday at 4 p.m. in the national title game as the Buckeyes look to win its second straight national championship.