Notre Dame’s Jake Evans Wins the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award for Men’s Hockey

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (April 4, 2018) – Notre Dame forward Jake Evans has been selected as the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award® winner for NCAA® Division I men’s hockey. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men’s hockey coaches, national hockey media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men’s hockey. Evans is the fourth student-athlete from Notre Dame to win the Senior CLASS Award after Manti Te’o (football) in 2012, Kerry Hanks (women’s soccer) in 2008 and David Brown (men’s hockey) in 2007.

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. 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.

“I’m honored to win this award,” said Evans, whose Irish will take on Michigan tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. ET in the Frozen Four. “I think it is a testament to the culture our coaching staff has built here at Notre Dame, where our education and off-the-ice actions are all part of what it means to be a member of the Fighting Irish. Being pushed by my teammates daily also contributed to winning this award, and I also have to credit my parents, who instilled the values that this award honors.”

A staple in the lineup for the Irish all four years, Evans earned first-team All-Big Ten honors this season posting 42 points (11g, 31a) to go along with 108 shots and 25 blocks this season. In the team’s first year in the Big Ten, Evans led the Irish to a 17-6-1 conference record (27-9-2 overall) and both conference regular-season and tournament titles. For outstanding individual play, he also earned three Big Ten weekly honors, being named a Second Star of the Week on Oct. 10 and a Third Star of the Week on both Oct. 31 and Feb. 27. A 2014 seventh round (207th overall) draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Evans also helped the Irish to a Frozen Four appearance as a junior in 2017, and finished as the team’s second leading scorer with 42 points on 13 goals and 29 assists.

“This is a well-deserved award for Jake due to his overall commitment to everything he has done for our program on and off the ice,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Jeff Jackson. “The award symbolizes the value of a player making an impact in all four years. “Jake exemplifies being a Notre Dame man, and I think being a well-rounded person and player is what the Senior CLASS Award is all about.”

In addition to his commitment to excellence on the ice, Evans has worked as diligently off it scheduled to graduate on time with a degree in management consulting through Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. The team captain for his senior season, Evans also has remained active in the community throughout his career, volunteering at the Perley Fine Arts Academy in South Bend and spending time in local third-grade classrooms. He also has taken part in Habitat for Humanity builds, the Fighting Irish Fight For Life program and Real Services, assisting elderly community members with household projects.

“We are thrilled to announce Jake Evans as this year’s winner,” said Erik Miner, executive director of the Senior CLASS Award. “He’s served as a model student-athlete on and off the ice throughout his time at Notre Dame, and we offer our congratulations to Jake and the entire Notre Dame community.”

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Hockey 2017-18 Winner

Name Position School Jake Evans Forward Notre Dame

First Team

Name Position School Michael Bitzer Goaltender Bemidji State Mitch McLain Forward Bowling Green Sam Piazza Defenseman Michigan Ryan Schmelzer Forward Canisius

Second Team