Three NESCAC Skaters Nominated for 2010 Hockey Humanitarian Award

Courtesy Amherst/Connecticut College/Williams Sports Information

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Three skaters from NESCAC institutions are among the 18 individuals nominated for the 2010 Hockey Humanitarian award presented by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, it was announced last week. The nominees from the conference for the award, given annually to college hockey's finest citizen, are Amherst senior Kirsten Dier (Appleton, Wis.), Connecticut College junior Brigid O'Gorman (Eden, N.Y.), and Williams senior Zach Miller (Bridgeton, N.J.).

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is awarded annually to college hockey’s finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey players, Division I, II or III, male or female, who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit. In 2008, Will Bruce of Williams earned the award, becoming the first NESCAC player to be honored with the Humanitarian.

Majoring in neuroscience at Amherst, Dier is both a gifted student and athlete. The captain of the Jeffs has been namde NESCAC All-Academic and All-Conference during her career while helping her squad win two conference titles (2007 & 2008) and a national championship (2009) during her tenure. Even with her responsibilities both on the ice and in the classroom, Dier has managed to dedicate her time serving others through countless organizations. Dier is an America Reads Tutor at the Little Red Schoolhouse, a frequent visitor to the Amherst Senior Center, serves as a volunteer at the MercyHouse Church and the Not Bread Alone soup kitchen. In the summer of 2009, Dier volunteered as a medical assistant in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and also managed to help with foundation and roofing work on new classrooms for a new Compassion International site.

A captain for the Camels in only her junior season, O'Gorman majors in cellular and molecular biology/pre-med at Connecticut College with a dedication to the game of ice hockey that is considered unparalleled by her head coach, Kristin Steele. O'Gorman is a member of the college's emergency medical services corps and is in the midst of a paramedic internship this year. She also works with the grounds crew at Connecticut College from time-to-time. O'Gorman scored a goal in the Camels' 2-1 NESCAC quarterfinal victory at Trinity last February, Connecticut College's first conference tournament victory ever, then following the tournament traveled to Uganda during spring break on a humanitarian mission where she delivered medical supplies, clothing, school supplies, and funds as part of the Asayo Wish Foundation.

Miller is a double major in economics and history at Williams and is pursuing a minor in leadership studies. He has been named to the Dean’s List all seven semesters and has been named to the NESCAC All-Academic team. Miller is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is a Class of 1960 Scholar in both economics and history as one of the top 10 performing majors. Additionally he is a recipient of the Class of 1953 Scholarship that is awarded to one student based on financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, and demonstrated campus leadership.

Bruce and Miller were teammates at Williams and Miller credits Bruce with getting him involved in community service at Williams. "Will was a not only a great guy, but also a close friend and mentor, so it is an honor to be nominated for the same award that he went on to win," stated Miller. "He really showed me how to get involved with the community and encouraged me to try to make an impact however I could, so if anything my nomination is a part of his legacy." Recently Miller was selected as the recipient of the Williams College Martin Wilson Fellowship which will cover most of his expenses as he attends England’s Oxford University from 2010-2012.

For three consecutive years Miller has received a Community Recognition Award from the Northern Berkshire community Coalition for his meaningful contributions to the community, which have included organizing an annual baseball clinic and cookout for local children and directing a program that paired Williams student-athletes with underprivileged youths to provide them with mentoring and encouragement. During this academic year Miller organized a pledge drive to raise money for the Massachusetts Soldiers’ Legacy Fund, a charity, which provides tuition assistance to the children of soldiers who have lost their lives serving overseas. Outside of Williamstown, Miller has also volunteered for work with the U.S. Department of State, where he was selected to serve as a civilian ambassador on a trip to Iraq.

Finalists for the 2010 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced later this month, with the recipient being named during the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Frozen Four weekend in Detroit, Mich. on Friday, April 9. More informaiton on the Humanitarian can be found on the organization's website, www.hockeyhumanitarian.org.