Women's Ice Hockey | 1/18/2023 2:27:00 PM
TROY, N.Y. – The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation today announced its nominees for the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete
Hannah Price has been selected as one of 15 across NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey. The award, which is celebrating its 28th season, is presented annually to a college hockey student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism. The nomination is her second for the award, as she was also nominated in 2022. She is one of four players on the list as repeat honorees.
A senior defender from Pittsburgh, Pa., Price has been a leader on and off the ice for the Engineers since stepping on campus in 2019. A member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the last three years, she has helped expand the group's efforts to improve the RPI community and surrounding area, including a co-sponsored blood drive with the American Red Cross, where she was responsible for recruiting and promoting the event.
On campus, Price has helped make National Girls & Women in Sports Day a resounding success, teaching basic hockey skills to area youth, who may not otherwise have the opportunity. She has also participated in a mentoring program with Troy School 14, meeting weekly over Google Meets with her reading partner, offering motivation, comprehension and fluency during the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.
During her time in Troy, Price has worked with the Food Recovery Network, collecting leftover food from dining facilities and delivering the food to homeless shelters multiple times each week. She also works closely with Troy Street Soldiers II, where she hands out water, food and basic necessities to the less fortunate in the city.
In her hometown of Pittsburgh, Hannah spearheaded the city's participation in Natural Resource Defense Council's Food Matters program as a Food Policy intern. Through her efforts, they were able to increase the size, diversity, and participation of Food Matters Working Group. She was key in the successful campaign for Food Matters Month (December 2021) including social media outreach with all working group members, and a panel discussion with local leaders in the field.
Price's leadership style is derived from her empathy and sincere concern for the needs of others. She exemplifies the Engineers' team values – Love, Integrity, Family, and Toughness – which spell out the acronym L.I.F.T., from which the phrase "Lift Up" is used within the program. She combined her passion for social justice with her love of hockey to lead the team in important conversations surrounding racism in hockey. Partnering with the Black Girls Hockey Club and two of the black players on the RPI roster, she moderated discussions surrounding the experiences of minorities in the sport.
Price has played in all 24 games for the Engineers this season, recording four goals and an assist for five points. Compiling a -4 rating, she has taken just one minor penalty for two minutes, while registering 19 shots on goal and 22 blocks at the defensive end. In 90 career games at RPI, she has six goals and seven assists for 13 points.
An Economics and Sustainability Studies dual major, Price is a multiple Dean's List and ECAC Hockey All-Academic selection. When RPI's 2020-21 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she received the team's Bill Cahill Memorial Award, presented annually to a player who displays high character, ability and dedication. In 2021, she received third prize in the McKinney Writing Contest for her entry in Undergraduate Essay/Creative Nonfiction.
Finalists for the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced in February. The 2023 recipient will be honored on Friday, April 7th during the NCAA Men's Frozen Four weekend in Tampa, Florida.
