February 27, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Kathryn Tappen, who currently serves as New England Sports Network's Boston Bruins studio host and as a "SportsDesk" anchor and reporter, will be the master of ceremonies for the 2009 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award brunch. Annually presented by The USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be bestowed upon the 12th recipient at a brunch ceremony at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston on March 21.

As NESN's Bruins studio host, Tappen anchors the network's Bruins pre-game show, intermission report and post-game show. Prior to NESN, she worked at WJAR-10 in Providence, R.I., where she spent a year-and-a-half covering covering New England sports as the weekend anchor and weekday sports reporter for the NBC affiliate and won an AP award for her sports feature “Swim Meet."

Tappen has received two Emmy nominations for sports feature reporting and has served as a sideline reporter for NBC Universal Sports and hosted a nightly special covering the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Tappen began her career at CSTV (now CBS College Sports) in 2003, where she hosted a variety of programs, including "The One College Sports Show," "At the Buzzer" and "24/7." An Academic All-American while at Rutgers, Tappen was a member of the cross country and track teams and is a former record holder in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Tickets to the 2009 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ceremony may be purchased at PattyKaz.com or by calling 719-538-1184. Individual seats are $85, while tables of 10 are available for $800.

NOTES: The top-10 finalists for the 2009 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be announced on Monday (March 2) ... The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman for Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28, following a long struggle with a rare blood disease … To sign up for the Kaz Connection, a free monthly e-newsletter dedicated solely to the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, please visit PattyKaz.com.