Saint Anselm’s Amanda Conger wins Hockey Humanitarian Award | College Sports

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is given every year to school hockey’s most interesting citizen — a student-athlete who makes important contributions not solely to his or her staff, but additionally to the community-at-large by means of management in volunteerism.

Conger, of Swanton, Vt., was nominated in recognition of a selfless act that occurred this previous summer season. By way of an internship expertise in her residence state, she met an area man, Cameron Ouellette, who was identified with stage 5 kidney illness. It was found within the spring 2019 that she was a match and Conger went ahead with donating considered one of her kidneys to Ouellette. The harvesting and transplant procedures occurred in early June and each have made a full restoration.

“I’m humbled that I used to be nominated, named a finalist and am now the recipient of this prestigious award, which has honored so many excellent pupil athletes,” mentioned Conger. “Whereas I’m exceptionally grateful to be the recipient of this award, it was utterly sudden. I can solely hope that the extra my story is shared, the extra consciousness it brings to the significance of organ donation. I’m lucky that is one other platform to just do that.”

Conger has additionally volunteered her time with quite a few noteworthy causes, together with Staff IMPACT and Ladies with Energy Instruments. She additionally has labored with the School’s Assault & Violence Schooling & Reporting Staff (AVERT) and within the Harbor, an on-campus hub for prevention, training and consciousness of home and relationship violence.

“Over 25 years we’ve been extremely impressed by the caliber of our nominees,” mentioned Matt Patrick, Govt Director of the HHAF. “Amanda’s sacrifice exemplifies all that the Basis seeks to honor. She is in each manner a real heroine. We couldn’t be extra happy.”

Conger has responded from the extraordinary medical process, skating in a career-high 32 video games in her senior season posting 13 factors (3g, 10a). She performed in a program-record 116 video games in her 4 years with the Hawks, registering 72 factors (31g, 41a). She missed solely two video games in her 4 years with the staff.

“I actually imagine it’s Amanda’s outlook on life to take advantage of all her alternatives and never take life with no consideration,” mentioned her head coach, Kerstin Matthews. “It takes a particular individual to be so selfless so as to add a bodily problem of this diploma proper earlier than her senior 12 months. It’s superb to see how this younger girl has touched so many lives – what’s extra, she doesn’t see it by way of what she has accomplished for them, however reasonably what they’ve accomplished for her.”

Conger is the second Saint Anselm student-athlete at school historical past to the obtain the award, as Tucker Mullin ‘13 was honored in his senior season. Saint Anselm turns into the fifth school/college to have a number of recipients, becoming a member of Boston School, Northeastern, Yale and Wisconsin.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award Basis may even current Conger with a verify for $2,500, which might be donated to Donate Life Vermont. Donate Life Vermont is a company devoted to elevating consciousness of organ, eye and tissue donation within the Inexperienced Mountain State. All 5 HHA finalists obtained $500 for his or her respective designated charities. These donations from the HHA Basis are doable by means of the beneficiant help of the award’s companions and donors.

Conger is the ninth feminine student-athlete to win the Hockey Humanitarian Award, and the primary since Minnesota’s Sidney Peters earned the award in 2018.

The Hockey Humanitarian Award is awarded yearly to school hockey’s most interesting citizen and seeks to acknowledge school hockey gamers, from all divisions, male or feminine, who give again to their neighborhood within the true humanitarian spirit. We search to not merely have fun Corridor of Fame athletes, however reasonably Corridor of Fame human beings.