Nu and Canisius Player Nominated for Senior Class Award

Senior defenseman Kevin Ryan  has been named a candidate for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award, as announced by the committee this morning.

Ryan is a member of a prestigious group of 20 NCAA men’s ice hockey student-athletes who excel on and off the ice.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

“Kevin is a very special person and one that has been a joy to watch,” head coach Dave Burkholder said.  “As a student-athlete and as a player he has done all that we have asked of him and more.  He is a very gifted and driven person, and he will make Niagara University and its entire community proud when he leaves here and embarks on the next phase of his life.  We want the next generation of Niagara Hockey to learn from Kevin’s example”

Off the ice the three-time Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team honoree wrapped up his undergraduate degree with a 4.067 grade-point average and is currently working towards his MBA in Finance.

On the ice the Eden, N.Y. native has three goals and 49 assists for 49 points in 114 games wearing the Purple and White.  This season he has already garnered four points in six games on a goal and a team-leading three assists.  His most prolific season came during his junior year when the Third Team All-Conference honoree pocketed a career-high 24 points on a career-high 23 assists and a goal.  He was ranked 34th in the nation in assists per game (0.61) and 25th in the nation and fifth in the conference in points per game by a defenseman (0.63).

The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, 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 2014 NCAA Men’s Frozen Final Four in April.

Senior forward Kyle Gibbons (Westlake, Ohio) of the Canisius College hockey team has also been named one of 20 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. 

On the ice, Gibbons has enjoyed a very successful career at Canisius, highlighted by leading the Griffs to the Atlantic Hockey title last season. An all-conference selection as a junior, Gibbons was named the 2013 Atlantic Hockey Championship MVP after setting tournament records with 12 points and eight assists en route to Canisius’ first conference championship. Overall, Gibbons finished the season ranked 12th nationally in points (43), eighth in goals (21) and sixth in power-play tallies (nine).

During his three-plus seasons at Canisius, Gibbons has totaled 97 points, 45 goals and 52 assists. He is just three points shy of becoming the eighth player in the program’s Division I history to record 100 career points and also ranks fifth in the school’s record book with his 45 career tallies.

Off the ice, Gibbons owns a 3.447 grade point average as a finance major and has earned Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team accolades in each of his three seasons at Canisius. Gibbons is also active within the Buffalo community, volunteering with Hasek’s Heroes, the Food Bank of Western New York and Canisius Community Days.

The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, 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 2014 NCAA Men’s Frozen Final Four in April.

Gibbons and the Griffs are back in action on Friday, playing at Robert Morris. Canisius then returns to Buffalo for its home opener against Mercyhurst on Saturday night. Game time at the Buffalo State Sports Arena is set for 7:05 p.m.

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