Ten players who excel both on and off the ice were selected Friday as finalists for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character 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 athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities,” according to a news release
The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of candidates announced in the fall. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 26.
Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners.
The Senior CLASS Award recipients will be announced during the Frozen Four in April.
Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Dylan Abood, Air Force
Michael Bitzer, Bemidji State
Jake Evans, Notre Dame
Brady Ferguson, Robert Morris
Karson Kuhlman, Minnesota Duluth
Mitch McLain, Bowling Green
Judd Peterson, St. Cloud State
Sam Piazza, Michigan
Austin Poganski, North Dakota
Ryan Schmelzer, Canisius
The 2017 winner was Bemidji State’s Brendan Harms.
