It E-S-P-Isn't Corriero

LOS ANGELES—In Hollywood this week, the mecca of celebrity, Harvard hockey star Nicole Corriero ’05 got a taste of the star treatment.

Corriero visited Los Angeles for the festivities surrounding the ESPY Awards, ESPN’s annual sports equivalent to the Oscars. She earned a nomination for Best Female College Athlete after leading the Crimson to the NCAA Championship game this winter and setting an all-time collegiate single-season scoring record with 59 goals in the process.

And although she failed to capture the award, she could not have been more grateful for the experience.

The nomination came as a bit of a surprise for Corriero, who, after falling short of the final round of voting for the Patty Kazmaier Award given to the top women’s hockey player in Division I, was included in the running for the ESPY as ESPN’s de facto choice for top skater in the nation in 2004-05.

Corriero admittedly asked friends and acquaintance to cast votes on her behalf in the weeks leading up to the presentation of the award in the fan-balloting-determined category, but did not harbor high hopes for bringing home the trophy.

She was stacked up against national basketball player of the year Seimone Augustus, NCAA soccer’s leading scorer Katie Thorlakson, gymnast Kristen Maloney, and the eventual winner, Olympic softball star Cat Osterman.

In light of the long odds, Corriero made up her mind to milk the moment for all of the lasting memories and thrills it could afford her.

“I don’t expect to win,” she said. “It’s just about having a good time. That’s why we’re here.”

Allowed to bring a guest, Nicole decided to share the fun with her younger brother Joseph, a rising sophomore at the University of Toronto.

The siblings spent their time taking in the sights of L.A. and relishing the party scene that accompanied the award show. They were especially coy about a bash that took place at the infamous Playboy Mansion.

“We have a lot of stories from that,” Nicole said. “We got photos with Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning and the guys from Miracle.”

ESPN put them up in the swanky Hotel Mondrian where Nicole could be found at a pre-party in the lobby, rubbing elbows with the likes of NBA hotshots Dwyane Wade and Sean May.

“It’s been cool,” Joseph said. “Meeting all the famous people.”

Nicole was decked out in a designer dress and glittering in borrowed jewelry, including an imposing watch. Event staffers had helped with her hair and makeup, just one of the examples of the gracious help Corriero said she had encountered.

“Everyone has treated us so well,” she said.

Later, on the red carpet leading into the Kodak Theatre, Corriero was spotted chatting up fellow nominee Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson before heading inside for the show.

Nicole and Joseph had a full night of parties lined up for afterwards, promising an exciting conclusion to a fabulous day.

In the midst of the champagne and flashbulbs, however, Corriero’s athletic endeavors did not go completely overlooked.

“Obviously the other nominees are amazing athletes that accomplished so much this year,” Osterman said after winning.

“I think it’s a trend,” Sportscenter anchor Chris Berman said of Corriero’s recognition out of the Ancient Eight. “We have an Ivy Leaguer going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.”

After her brief and indelible foray into the glamorous life of a sports luminary, Nicole returns to her summer job at a Toronto law firm and then moves on to law school in the fall. She plans on attending a joint program between the University of Windsor and University of Detroit.

Despite not winning the ESPY, Corriero said she was anything but disappointed in the wake of an unforgettable vacation.

“This is a little break for me and then I’ll get back to the grind,” she said. “We’re really just enjoying the moment at this point.”

—Staff writer Jonathan Lehman can be reached at jlehman@fas.harvard.edu.