Gagnon Named Sarah Devens Award Winner

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Clarkson University Women's Hockey senior/graduate student forward Vanessa Gagnon has been named the winner of the 2014 Sarah Devens Award. Given as a joint award between ECAC Hockey and Hockey East, the Sarah Devens Award is presented annually to a player who "demonstrates leadership and commitment both on and off the ice."

Each conference submitted a league nominee for consideration. The winner receives a post-graduate scholarship of $10,000.

Gagnon is the second Golden Knights student-athlete to receive the Sarah Devens Award, as Lindsay Williams '07 was tabbed with the honor in 2007. She has been a model leader both on and off the ice having a major impact on the program's success in Potsdam, leading Clarkson to its first national championship this past season.

In addition to winning the Devens Award this year, Gagnon also won ECAC Hockey's Mandi Schwartz Award as the top student-athlete in the conference.

A fourth year graduate student at Clarkson, Gagnon finished her undergraduate degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship during her junior year with a 3.95 and is currently one of only two students to maintain a perfect 4.0 in Clarkson's MBA program. She is also pursuing an additional certification in environmental management.

Winner of the ECAC Hockey Best-Defensive Forward award this season, Gagnon has excelled on both ends of the ice. Boasting a +43 plus/minus rating for the season, the Assistant Captain has tallied 18 goals and 15 assists on the year. The forward has also won .637% of draws this season.

Some of Gagnon's off the ice accomplishments include partnering with faculty members to develop micro-finance projects in Uganda where she will be visiting this May to roll out the screening and training support for the projects; induction into the highest of business school honor societies; ECAC Hockey all-academic teams; President's List and Dean's List; Golden Knight's Unsung Hero Award Winner; as well as becoming the first student-athlete in program history to earn CoSIDA All-Academic Teams and winner of the Elite 89. The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.

She is defined by her professors as a natural leader who uses her 'know how' skills to build the spirit of teamwork and shared leadership in the classroom and in her athletic pursuits.

One of the Golden Knights captains, the top-liner she has netted five game-winning goals on the season and is a valuable penalty-killer who logs time against the opponents' best players.

Past recipients of the award include: 1997 -- Kathryn Waldo (F), Northeastern; 1998 -- Sarah Hood (F), Dartmouth; 1999 -- Jamie Totten (D), Northeastern; 2000 -- Carrie Jokiel (F), New Hampshire; 2001 -- Christina Sorbara (F), Brown; 2002 -- Dianna Bell (F), Cornell; 2003 -- Rachel Barrie (G), St. Lawrence; 2004 -- Lindsay Charlebois (F), St. Lawrence; 2005 -- Nicole Corriero (F), Harvard; 2006 -- Karen Thatcher (F), Providence; 2007 -- Lindsay Williams (F), Clarkson; 2008 -- Lizzie Keady (F), Princeton; 2009 -- Marianna Locke (F), St. Lawrence; 2010 -- Laura Gersten (F), Rensselaer; 2011 -- Jackee Snikeris (G), Yale; 2012 -- Aleca Hughes (F), Yale, 2013 -- Alyssa Zupon, (F), Yale.

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