Rensselaer senior forward Brock Higgs (Kingston, Ont./Kingston-OJHL) has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 Men's Hockey Senior CLASS Award.

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. 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.

"This would not have been possible without the community and people at RPI who have helped me along the way accomplish so much," said Higgs. "It really is a reflection of the family that RPI and the hockey program really are. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of it all."

Four players joined Higgs on the Senior CLASS All-America First Team: Denver goaltender Sam Brittain (Calgary, Alta./Canmore-AJHL/FLA), St. Lawrence forward Greg Carey (Hamilton, Ont./Burlington-OJHL/PHX), Canisius forward Kyle Gibbons (Westlake, Ohio/Lincoln-USHL) and Cornell goaltender Andy Iles (Ithaca, N.Y./U.S. NTDP).

A native of Kingston, Ont., Higgs is a business and management major who is also working on a master's degree in management, with a concentration in finance. He has a 3.67 cumulative grade point average and expects to graduate with both degrees in August 2014. He has been on the Dean's List every semester and has earned ECAC Hockey All-Academic all three years eligible to date.

Higgs has been a stalwart in the community since arriving on campus. He has assisted local youth hockey teams of the Troy Albany Youth Hockey Association (TAYHA) with practices and he has been a counselor at the RPI Hockey Camp every fall. He has also participated in Habitat for Humanity, helping build houses in Troy for the less fortunate. Brock and his teammates also assist the RPI Newman Center with their fundraising activities each fall and they spend time supporting various other causes and participating in charitable events, including the City of Troy's Turkey Trot, the United Way and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

On the ice, Higgs played all 37 games this season, scoring 14 goals with 16 assists for 30 points. He was second on the team in goals and points and first in shorthanded goals (2) and penalty minutes (59). He scored three power play goals and one game-winner. In 22 league contests, Higgs had 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points.

An assistant captain, he had at least one point in 22 games with eight multiple-point efforts. He had a hat trick on November 2 at Dartmouth and recorded two points seven times.

Higgs, who is playing professional hockey with the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League, finished his career with 27 goals and 64 assists for 91 points in 137 games.

A former member of the OJHL's Kingston Voyageurs, Higgs played in 33 games as a junior tallying a goal and 16 assists for 17 points. In 2011-12, he led the Engineers with 23 points on three goals and 20 assists in 34 contests. His freshman campaign saw him net nine goals, to go along with 12 assists for 21 points in 33 games.

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.