News

Cheyne Rocha of Army wins the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award® for hockey

April 10, 2013

OVERLAND PARK, KS – Three-time conference academic all-star and Rhodes Scholar candidate Cheyne Rocha of Army has been selected as the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award® winner in NCAA® Division I men’s ice hockey.

The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men’s ice hockey coaches, national ice hockey media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men’s ice hockey. 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, community, 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 platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

“I am humbled and honored to accept the Senior CLASS Award,” said Rocha who will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer Branch of the U.S. Army following graduation. “I have been blessed with great teammates, coaches and instructors during my time at West Point and this award is a result of their mentorship and support. I want to thank my family for their unwavering support and guidance. This was a great group of finalists and I would like to thank all of the fans, media and head coaches who voted for me during this process. I also want to thank the hard working people behind the Senior CLASS Award for their support of college athletics, especially those who succeed on and off the ice.”

An engineering management major, Rocha is a three-time Atlantic Hockey Association Academic All-Star. He posted the highest GPA among league defensemen as a junior and was named Student-Athlete of the Year. Rocha spearheaded House of Blues, an awareness campaign for prostate cancer, now the preferred charity of Atlantic Hockey. He is active with the Special Olympics and Neighborhood Knights, a team group that provides community service.

“This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for Cheyne,” said Army hockey coach Brian Riley. “His hard work on and off the ice has been an inspiration to many and it’s great to see him recognized nationally for his efforts. We would like to thank all of the fans, coaches and media members who voted for Cheyne and congratulate all of the other finalists. There are some great hockey players doing great things and we are grateful to the Senior CLASS folks for recognizing and rewarding these young men.”

A four-year contributor to the team, Rocha played in all but two games this season – the two games he missed were to attend his Rhodes Scholarship interview. The defenseman finished the season with one goal and three assists.

“Cheyne has maintained the discipline and focus necessary to complete his studies at one of our country’s military academies,” said Erik Miner, executive director for the Senior CLASS Award, “but he has also contributed to a hockey team and guided several community service initiatives as well, making him a terrific representative of this year’s outstanding group of hockey finalists.”

DI Hockey 2012-13 Winner

First Team

Second Team