Alex Higgins '11 Named Recipient Of NE-10 Male Sportsmanship Award

Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist honored for extensive community service contributions

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Contact: Seth Cole - Phone: 802.654.2537

Click here to watch video of Higgins' receiving the NE-10 Male Sportsmanship Award!
Click here to view pictures from the Awards Dinner!

Alex Higgins '11 (center), along with men's ice hockey head coach Chris Davidson, receiving the 2010-11 Northeast-10 Conference Male Sportsmanship Award from Commissioner Julie Ruppert (pic taken by Andy Beardsley).

COLCHESTER, Vt. – Recent Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey standout Alex Higgins '11 (Phoenix, Ariz./Kent School) added yet another prestigious accolade to his resume on Tuesday, as he was named the recipient of the 2010-11 Northeast-10 Conference Male Sportsmanship Award. Higgins received the award at the NE-10 Annual Awards Dinner, which took place on Tuesday evening at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, R.I.

"Alex has the ability to inspire the people he works with, and has demonstrated a maturity and take-charge attitude of someone well beyond his years," said Chris Davidson '99 M'06, who completed his fourth year as Saint Michael's men's ice hockey head coach in March, and was in attendance for Tuesday's awards dinner along with Saint Michael's Director of Athletics Geri Knortz and Faculty Athletics Representative Dave Landers. "He is a leader by example, and his genuine concern for people, plus his sense of humor, make him loved and respected by his peers."

"When I came to Saint Michael's, I fit the mold of a stereotypical hockey player," said Higgins. "Over the course of my four years, I learned that there was a lot more than hockey, and to being a complete person, and I contribute that to Coach Davidson, who taught me a lot these last four years."

Higgins, a two-year captain for the Purple Knights, has been the leader of the program's volunteer efforts throughout much of his four-year career. Higgins organized volunteer efforts for himself and his teammates with the Chittenden South Burlington youth hockey league, a local Sled Hockey tournament, the Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring (DREAM) skate for low-income children, and several canned food drives for the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) based in Burlington, Vt. He has also volunteered at Camp Wediko, a summer camp for behaviorally-challenged children located in Windsor, N.H., and at the Woodside Juvenile Detention Center in Colchester, Vt.

In February, Higgins was named one of eight national finalists for the 2011 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award, an honor given to "college hockey's finest citizen, and seeks to recognize college hockey players … who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit." He was the only non-NCAA Division I finalist for the award in 2011, and became only the second player in program history to be named a finalist, joining John Flint '03 in 2003.

Higgins has garnered several accolades since Saint Michael's season came to an end in the NE-10 Championship in March. He was named the College's male recipient of the Diane C. Foster '77 Award, given to a Saint Michael's student who exemplifies true compassion, sacrifice and service to others. A member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society, Higgins was also named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East All-Academic Team in April, and will be named to the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll later this month. Higgins, who has earned representation on the College's Dean's List on multiple occasions, graduated on May 16 with degrees in psychology and English.

On the ice, Higgins appeared in 100 games for the Purple Knights during his four-year career, and recorded 21 goals and 29 assists. He helped lead Saint Michael's to two NE-10 regular season titles – including a perfect NE-10 regular season in 2010-11 – and two NE-10 Tournament championships. He tallied a career-high 22 points this past season, good for fourth on the team, and tied for second on the squad with three power play goals.       

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