Jan. 3, 2004
Notre Dame, Ind. – University of Notre Dame hockey standout Neil Komadoski (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.) has been selected as one of 14 nominees for the College Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award is presented every year to college hockey’s finest citizen for their contributions to society in all areas.
This is the ninth year for the award that will be presented on April 9, 2004 in Boston, Mass., at the NCAA Frozen Four.
Komadoski is a senior alternate captain for the Irish. The veteran defenseman ranks seventh on the team in scoring this year with two goals and six assists for eight points. Both of his goals have come on the power play. The Irish are currently 9-6-2 on the season, their best record after 17 games since 1989-90. The team’s goals-against average of 2.56 ranks second in the CCHA.
Off the ice, Komadoski has been heavily involved with Notre Dame athletics community service programs since joining the team in 2000. The 21-year old defenseman has served as the hockey team’s representative to Notre Dame’s Student-Athlete Advisory (SAAC) Council since the fall of 2001. He has also been active as the chairman of the SAAC community service sub-committee since the fall of 2002. In March of 2003, he was selected as Notre Dame’s representative to the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference held in late May in Orlando, Fla.
His community service work has included participation in SAAC’s Pediatric Christmas Party in all four years since joining the Irish hockey program. He has also participated in Christmas in April (2001, 2002), Habitat for Humanity (2003) and the Downs Syndrome Buddy Walk in the fall of 2002 and 2003. He has also worked with the Robinson Community Learning Center’ Children’s Ice Skate Day in the fall of 2002 and 2003.
Joining Komadoski on the list of 14 nominees is fellow CCHA player, senior goaltender Mike Betz of Ohio State. The remainder of the list includes: Rachel Barrie (Sr., St. Lawrence), Dan Boeser (Sr., Wisconsin), Frank Doyle (Sr., Maine), Trevor Edwards (Sr., Clarkson), Patrick Foley (Sr., New Hampshire), Rob Fried (Sr., Harvard), Chanda Gunn (Sr., Northeastern), Emma Lauksonen (Sr., Ohio State), Jamie Laubisch (Sr., Union), Chelsea Loughran (Sr., Brown), Peter Trovato (Jr., UMass-Amherst) and Mark Persick (Jr., Canisius). Barrie, Betz, Foley and Gunn are repeat nominees.
The Hockey Humanitarian committee will narrow the list of 14 nominees to five finalists on Thursday, Jan. 8, with the winner being announced in April at the Frozen Four.