Feb. 4, 2010

Overland Park, KS – Ten NCAA® student-athletes who excel both on and off the ice – including St. Cloud State's Garrett Raboin, Denver’s Rhett Rakhshani and Michigan Tech's Eli Vlaisavljevich – were tabbed as finalists today for the 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the hockey division.

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 – classroom, character, community and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe’s 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 finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 20 candidates who were announced in October.

Nationwide balloting begins immediately to determine the winner. Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award™ winner in April at the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four® in Detroit, Michigan.

The 2009-10 finalists are: Jean-Marc Beaudoin, Quinnipiac University; Cody Chupp, Ferris State University; Matt Fairchild, United States Air Force Academy; Colin Greening, Cornell University; Dion Knelsen, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Martin Nolet, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Garrett Raboin, St. Cloud State University; Rhett Rakhshani, University of Denver; Dan Ringwald, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Eli Vlaisavljevich, Michigan Technological University.

These 10 names will be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award hockey ballot for a nationwide vote beginning today and concluding March 16. Fan balloting is available on the award’s official Web site, www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging. Fans can text HOCKEY to 74567 to vote for the finalists. These votes will be combined with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

“The hockey finalists have spent almost four years perfecting their game on the ice,” said Tom Lamb, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing. “We commend their pursuit of perfection in the rink but also their emphasis on getting a college degree and preparing for life after their senior year.”

This marks the fourth year for the ice hockey division of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Michigan State University goaltender Jeff Lerg received the award for the 2008-09 season and Princeton University center Landis Stankievech took home the 2007-08 honor. In 2006-07, University of Notre Dame goaltender David Brown won the inaugural men’s hockey award.

Hockey 2009-10 Finalists

Name, Position, School

Jean-Marc Beaudoin, Forward, Quinnipiac University

Cody Chupp, Forward, Ferris State University

Matt Fairchild, Forward, Air Force Academy

Colin Greening, Forward, Cornell University

Dion Knelsen, Forward, University of Alaska

Martin Nolet, Defenseman, University of Massachusetts

Garrett Raboin, Defenseman, St. Cloud State University

Rhett Rakhshani, Forward, University of Denver

Dan Ringwald, Defenseman, RIT

Eli Vlaisavljevich, Defenseman, Michigan Tech

 

Player Profiles – WCHA Finalists

Garrett Raboin, Defenseman, St. Cloud State University

Major: Special Education. G: 5. A: 10. PTS: 15. +/- -8.

Classroom: Raboin has earned WCHA Scholar-Athlete honors in 2008 and 2009, an honor that requires a 3.5 grade point average or above. He was also named to the All-WCHA Academic team in 2008 and 2009. Raboin has been named to the SCSU Student-Athlete Honor Roll during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. In his studies as a special education major, he owns a 3.61 grade point average and has already completed some of his student teaching assignments at St. Cloud’s Apollo High School, St. Cloud’s Elementary School and St. Cloud’s Lincoln Elementary School. He has also worked with The Community Options 2 program (CO2), which is a transitional program for St. Cloud School District No. 742 students age 18-21 with developmental/cognitive disabilities or autism spectrum disorders.

Character: “Garrett excels in all areas as a student-athlete,” SCSU head coach Bob Motzko said. “As an athlete, Garrett has developed into one of college hockey’s premier defensemen. His academic accomplishments have earned him league honors throughout his collegiate career and his leadership traits have positioned him as the heart and soul of our team.”

Raboin gained an alternate captain letter on his sweater during his sophomore season at SCSU and his leadership ability has led him to be named the Huskies’ team captain during the 2008-09 season and for the upcoming 2009-10 season. His hard work and determination have helped Raboin develop into one of the nation’s best. As a rookie, Raboin dished out seven assists, but he did not score his first collegiate goal until the closing weeks of his sophomore season. Since that point, he has become the foundation of SCSU’s defense and a major contributor on offense.

Community: Raboin is active with many service and volunteer initiatives on campus and in the community. Most recently, he was selected by the St. Cloud State Athletic Department to be one of two student members of the St. Cloud State Student Government’s Intercollegiate Athletic Committee for 2009-10. Additionally, Raboin has been active with the Huskies’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has also served as a lead representative for the WCHA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during his collegiate career. In the community, he has volunteered locally at the Stearns County Humane Society, helping out at the group’s facility on the east side of St. Cloud by working with the animals and with maintenance projects. He also worked as a volunteer with the local colon cancer awareness program and was the leader of a 1K kids race at the St. Cloud KidZone, which was part of the cancer awareness program. As a special education major and the son of two special education instructors, Raboin has volunteered for special education programs in St. Cloud and his hometown of Detroit Lakes, MN. In addition, he has been part of the kick-off reading programs at elementary schools in Saulk Rapids, MN and Royalton, MN. On the ice, Raboin has participated in the annual Skate with the Huskies program, a community outreach effort that annually provides area residents and fans a chance to meet and skate with SCSU hockey players. He has helped with the youth hockey programs in St. Cloud and Detroit Lakes, MN, and he served as a referee during the St. Cloud youth hockey spring league in 2009. Raboin has worked at numerous youth camps during the summer months at various local locations including International Falls, MN, Detroit Lakes, MN and Grand Rapids, MI. He has also worked with the Christian Hockey Ministry camp in St. Cloud. Additionally, Raboin has carried on the team’s tradition of working with the St. Cloud Slapshots, a local adaptive floor hockey team made up of students from the St. Cloud area high schools. With the Slapshots, he has worked as a volunteer instructor and coach.

Competition: A four-year regular for the St. Cloud State men’s hockey team at defense, Raboin has helped position the Huskies among the nation’s top 20 teams over much of the past three seasons. In 2008-09, Raboin ranked seventh among the nation’s defensive players with a scoring average of 0.87 points per game. He scored 10 goals, 23 assists and 33 points last season – all of which were career highs. Raboin ranked third in the WCHA for defensive scoring, and he was named to the All-WCHA team as a second team selection in 2008-09. In overall games played, he ranked 18th among all WCHA players for scoring and 15th among all WCHA players for scoring in conference contests. A special teams standout, Raboin led SCSU’s power-play unit at the blue line and scored eight power play goals last season. In 2008-09, he ranked fourth in the WCHA with 23 power-play points in 38 games played. He was +7 on the plus/minus as a junior and helped SCSU defense limit its opponents to just 107 goals last year in 38 games (2.80 goals against average). For his efforts in 2008-09, Raboin was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his play against Michigan Tech on February 17, 2009. In two games against MTU, Raboin scored one goal and assisted on two others. He managed to total nine multi-point games last year including three-point games against Wisconsin, Colorado College and Alaska Anchorage. In his career, Raboin has notched 13 goals and 46 assists for 59 total points. He also has nine power play goals and two game-winning goals on his resume. On the plus/minus, Raboin is +11 during his career at SCSU. In addition, Raboin has helped lead SCSU to NCAA Tournament bids in 2007 and 2008 along with trips to the WCHA Final Five those same years. SCSU is 59-44-15 during Raboin’s first three years, which includes winning seasons for every season Raboin has been a team member. Of note, Raboin has seen his numbers grow throughout his collegiate career. His hard work and dedication have allowed him to go from no goals and seven assists during his rookie season to last year’s impressive 10 goals and 23 assists. 

 

Rhett Rakhshani, Forward, University of Denver

Major: Management. G: 17. A: 16. PTS: 33. +/- +9.

Classroom: Rakhshani is a two-time All-WCHA Academic team honoree who carries a 3.44 cumulative grade point average. He is very involved in his classes and represented DU at the 2008 NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL. In addition, he volunteers his time for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has earned multiple Dean’s List honors during his nine quarters at the University of Denver. Character Rakhshani was named team captain for the 2009-10 season by his teammates for his strong leadership skills. He is a two-time alternate captain and two-time winner of DU’s Dr. Ken Bredesen Award as the team’s most sportsmanlike athlete. 

Community: Rakhshani is one of DU’s most involved student-athletes in the community. He volunteers his time with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family. He also volunteers with the Jr. Pioneers Hockey Program and visits hospitals in Denver and California.

Competition: In his first three years at the University of Denver, Rakhshani has led the Pioneers to a 70-41-10 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2009, he became the 90th member of the Pioneer Century Club for 100-point scorers. He is DU’s active points leader with 102. Additionally, Rakhshani earned All-WCHA Third Team honors as a junior and helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships. 

 

Eli Vlaisavljevich, Defenseman, Michigan Technological University

Major: Biomedical Engineering. G: 2. A: 0. PTS: 2. +/- -9.

Classroom: Vlaisavljevich is developing a novel biomaterial to prevent fibrous encapsulation of implants, specifically fibrosis. It is a material that prevents cell adhesion to the surface through vibrational loading. It will be used to improve the stability, function and lifetime of implantable biomaterials and prevent the need for surgical revision. Vlaisavljevich’s plans after graduation are to pursue graduate school to study the link between major psychological and physiological systems, specifically using cognitive therapies, as part of an overall health plan to improve mental and cardiovascular health. After grad school, he hopes to be involved in a research career that allows him to directly interact with human subjects and develop the best overall health approach, geared to the needs of specific individuals. He was awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, the Michigan Tech Provost’s Award for Scholarship and was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team last year. He twice earned the John MacInnes Slide Rule Award for scholastic achievement. Additionally, he was a two-time All-WCHA Academic selection as well as a two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete. Vlaisavljevich is also being considered for a Rhodes Scholarship and has been a member of the Engineering Honor Society since 2007. Since 2006, he has tutored numerous students in basic mathematics, calculus, chemistry, biomaterials and cellular biology. As most of his students have been athletes, he has focused on the necessary time-management skills that are invaluable to success in the classroom. Vlaisavljevich is challenged to understand the many different ways in which the brain integrates information. He often learns as much teaching others as when he studies subjects himself.

Character: Vlaisavljevich embodies what a student-athlete should be. His hard work and determination have shone through in the classroom where he holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a biomedical engineering major.  These same values have allowed Vlaisavljevich to succeed as an intricate facet of the hockey team at Michigan Tech. He is a very personable young man who represents the university, community and hockey team with the class and character that one expects.

Community: Vlaisavljevich has volunteered on many levels and in many facets with youth hockey and has visited local schools. In both of these venues, he stresses the importance of not only hard work in athletics but in academics as well. Additionally, Vlaisavljevich serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council at Michigan Tech. This allows him to represent his teammates and give them a voice in decisions regarding the athletic department.

Competition: Vlaisavljevich has been a solid figure in the Michigan Tech defense appearing in 86 career games. He has scored one goal and added seven assists for eight total points in his career.

 

Release courtesy of Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Visit: http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com

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