Piazza Named Finalist for the Senior CLASS Award
2/18/2018 11:19:00 PM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior defenseman Sam Piazza of the University of Michigan ice hockey team on Friday (Feb. 16) was named one of 10 NCAA men's ice hockey student-athlete finalists for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award.
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.
Last season, Piazza was named to the 2016-17 Big Ten Honorable Mention team while leading all Michigan defenseman with 14 points in 32 games. He set career highs in points, goals and assists. This season, Piazza was named an alternate captain after serving in the same role for the second half of the 2016-17 season. He was the recipient of the 2016-17 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, while also being awarded the 2016-17 Howard Colby Award winner for sportsmanship.
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 their communities.
The Darien, Illinois, native consistently supports and publicizes his peers' awareness and fundraising campaigns on social media and in the real world. He worked with Habitat for Humanity assisting the community with landscaping and repairs, while also teaching young hockey players through on-ice instruction and skill work.
Piazza was named a 2015-16 and 2016-17 Academic All-Big Ten honoree, while also being presented with the 2016-17 Carl Isaacson Trophy as the team's best student-athlete. He is currently enrolled in the College of Engineering and is majoring in mechanical engineering. Upon graduation, Piazza is considering a career in financial trading. Through 30 games this season, Piazza has recorded 11 points (1G, 10A) on the year.
With 20 initial candidates narrowed to 10 finalists, Piazza is on the award's official ballot that 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. Voting will be open until March 26.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men's Frozen Final Four in April. Click to learn more about the Senior CLASS Award and see the full list of recipients.
