Senior forward Ralph Cuddemi (Concord, Ontario) of the Canisius College hockey team has been named one of 20 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in the community.
On the ice, Cuddemi is making his mark as one of the best to wear the Blue and Gold. Cuddemi is ranked seventh in the program’s Division I history with 110 career points, third with 55 career goals and third with 21 power-play tallies. He set personal bests with 39 points and 22 goals as a junior, while helping lead the Griffs to their best regular-season finish in school history.
In 26 games as a senior, Cuddemi ranks 17th nationally with 29 points, 10th with 15 goals and 18th with five power-play tallies.
Off the ice, Cuddemi maintains a 3.45 grade point average as a communications major with a minor in marketing. The Griffs’ captain this season, Cuddemi is a two-time selection to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team and is a four-time member of the Dean’s List. He has also been active within the Buffalo community, volunteering with Hasek’s Heroes, the Food Bank of Western New York and Habitat for Humanity.
The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Frozen Final Four in April.
Cuddemi and the Griffs are back in action tonight, opening a two-game series with Air Force. The schools are set to meet at HARBORCENTER with a 7:35 p.m. puck drop.
