MADISON, Wis. – They spoke without a hint of jealousy or concern for their competitive well-being. They all openly rejoiced at the opportunity to speak about someone other than themselves.

Three members of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team – sophomore defender Caroline Harvey, senior center Casey O’Brien and sophomore winger Kristen Simms – learned last week that they were among 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

The prestigious honor, sponsored by the USA Hockey Foundation, goes to the most outstanding college player in the nation. Since the award was introduced in 1998, five UW players have won it: Center Sara Bauer in 2006, goaltender Jessie Vetter in ’09, winger Meghan Duggan in ’11, center Brianna Decker in ’12 and goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens in ’17.

All five are pictured with their trophies along a corridor not far from the women’s dressing room at LaBahn Arena. Of course, there’s room for another.

This marks the third time the Badgers have had three Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalists, joining Vetter, Erika Lawler and Hilary Knight in 2009 and Abby Roque, Sophie Shirley and Daryl Watts in 2020.

The latest trio is special if for no other reason than its collective sense of admiration for one another.

“She’s just incredible,’’ O’Brien said of Harvey.

“I’ve looked up to her ever since I’ve been here,’’ Simms said of O’Brien.

“I could talk about them all day,’’ Simms said of Harvey and O’Brien.

Harvey is the first UW defender to be a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award since 2007 when Meaghan Mikkelson was a finalist. Three others – Bobbi-Jo Slusar in 2006 and Carla McLeod and Molly Engstrom in ’05 – were also under consideration.

Wisconsin fans have already seen Harvey on the international stage – she skated for Team USA in the 2022 Winter Olympics and secured a silver medal – but they may not yet fully appreciate her skills and her work ethic as O’Brien does.

“I think it’s pretty clear to anyone who has ever watched her play that she’s got probably the best raw ability of any women’s hockey player in the world,’’ O’Brien said of Harvey. “Nobody out there plays like she does. She’s so dynamic. Her skating is unmatched.

“Any team that she’s on she makes a huge impact. She’s so valuable to anyone whether it’s on the world stage, the national stage, college, whatever it is, she’s usually going to be the best player on the ice.’’

Despite missing nine games to illness or injury, Harvey amassed 35 points (5 goals, 30 assists) and was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Defender of the Year thanks in part to her plus-53 plus-minus ratio, which is the most in UW history among blue-liners.

“Top to bottom, she’s not only an amazing player, she’s an amazing person,’’ Simms said of Harvey. “Overall, she’s just such a talented hockey player. Her work ethic speaks for itself as well. The time she puts in on the ice and off – she never settles with where she’s at; she always wants to get better – that obviously speaks to her game.

“Every day in practice she takes it as if it’s a game. That’s an incredible thing that not a lot of people have. Even if it’s a flow day in practice, you see her going 110 percent in every drill. She will not take a rep off. That’s something very special that she carries as a player.’’

O’Brien, a Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalist in 2022, has been an electrifying performer for the Badgers down the stretch of this season. She’s averaging a robust 2.15 points per outing – 43 points over the last 20 games – helping Wisconsin to a 19-1 record.

“Watching her grow here has been unbelievable,’’ Harvey said of O’Brien. “The person she is, the player she is, I can’t say enough good things about her. She leads this team. Off the ice she’s always there to support her teammates. On the ice her ability is second to none. She’s an amazing player. I could go on and on about her.’’

O’Brien leads the nation with 47 assists and is second in points with 69. Simms, her linemate throughout the season, paces the country with 71 points and is second in goals with 32. That dynamic duo is a major reason why the UW power play ranks third overall with a success rate of 31.58 percent.

“She took me under her wing last year and it was nice to get to look up to that, just to see how she goes throughout every single day,’’ Simms said of O’Brien. “Her leadership in the locker room is huge. She’s very good at bringing our team together and saying the right things when needed. Overall, she’s an amazing person off the ice and is very deserving of this award.’’

Harvey said O’Brien’s skill set is the definition of being well-rounded.

“She’s a smart, heads-up player,’’ Harvey said. “She skates so well. She makes everyone around her better. She works hard day in and day out. Everything you can think of she does right and she does well.’’

Simms scored the game-winning goal in the NCAA title matchup with Ohio State last March – the 1-0 decision held up and gave the Badgers their seventh national championship – and hasn’t missed a beat since then.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy for somebody else to score a goal,’’ O’Brien said, noting that Simms may have expected more of herself even though she led all freshmen on the team with 16 goals and 16 assists. 

Simms, voted the WCHA Player of the Year last week, may have one of the most dynamic skill sets in the women’s game because, as O’Brien points out, she incorporates a lot of the men’s game in her repertoire.

“She’s a very special player,’’ O’Brien said. ‘‘She has insane hands, probably the best in all of women’s hockey – pro, college, whatever it is – because they’re incredible. She’s got amazing vision and an amazing shot. She has this knack for coming into the (offensive) zone, reading everything, dissecting the play in front of her and being able to capitalize on it. I’m a big fan.’’

O’Brien said Simms enjoys sharing video clips of great individual plays made by NHL and college players, most notably Lane Hutson of Boston University and Seamus Casey, Gavin Brindley and Rutger McGroarty of Michigan.

“There’s a few players on the men’s side in men’s college hockey that we think are amazing,’’ O’Brien said. “She’s always looking to get better and also has a creative mind, so watching other people gives her new ideas.

Simms grew up in Plymouth, Michigan, which may explain her fixation on Michigan.

“That team has so much skill and they move the puck so well to each other,’’ O’Brien said. “Our team has a lot of skill, too, so we try to mirror how well they move the puck.’’

Harvey said her classmate has elite puck skills.

“She can lose a player and leave their head spinning,’’ Harvey said. “It’s crazy how she can manipulate players. She has so much finesse and can see the openings and is so smart. It’s incredible. I’ve never seen someone with such good hands even come close to her.

“When I defend her in practice, I hate it because she’s always slipping the puck inside and outside of my stick and making me look silly out there. Her hands are incredible.

“Not a lot of girls – on the girls’ side of the game especially – can make fakes and plays the way she does. She’ll completely bait someone, dish it and get open and create space and rip the puck through the smallest of openings.’’

The three Patty Kazmaier Award finalists for the Badgers will learn their fates on Wednesday when the list of 10 is whittled down to three.   

Three days later, come Saturday afternoon at sold-out LaBahn Arena, second-seeded Wisconsin will face either Penn State or St. Lawrence with a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four on the line.

The trio of UW dynamos will plan to play their best having already weighed in on one another.

“I’m a big fan,’’ O’Brien said.

“I could go on and on,’’ Harvey said.