Northern Michigan University Hockey Player Ben Newhouse Named CCAA Student-Athlete of the Year, 23 Wildcats Awarded for Academics | News, Sports, Jobs

Newhouse, who ended his career with the Wildcats last season as a defenseman and also an alternate captain, won the faculty athletic representative award from all eight league institutions. The award honors the CCAA player who has played regularly as a regular member of his hockey team and has displayed exceptional sportsmanship, made satisfactory progress towards graduation, demonstrated leadership, has been active in community service off the ice and has embraced a positive culture for his institution and the League.

Another 196 student-athletes were named to the CCHA Academic All-Star Team earlier this summer, including 23 from NMU, as noted at the end of this story.

Newhouse, 24, was a three-year varsity member of the NMU hockey team after transferring from Union College. He served as alternate captain for his last two seasons, playing in all 5-on-5 and special teams situations and leading the North in ice time averaging nearly 26 minutes per game.

Last season, he played in all 37 NMU games while amassing a career-high 27 points, which tied him for third in CCHA scoring among defensemen. He also led NCAA Division I hockey in blocked shots and was named Wildcats Hockey Most Outstanding Player.

Ben New House

“Ben is an exceptional student and has been a central part of our community from the moment he came to campus,” NMU athletic director Forrest Karr said. “He’s a fan favorite known for his competitiveness on the ice and being thoughtful and good-natured off the ice.

“Ben has made it a priority to immerse himself in the culture of the Upper Peninsula by choosing to spend his summers in Marquette and connecting with members of the community on a personal level.”

Academically, Newhouse earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics with a concentration in actuarial science and a minor in entrepreneurship at NMU, compiling a 3.96 grade point average in her master’s program.

During the last fall and spring semesters, he took and passed the P exam and the FM exam, the first in a series of actuarial exams. In addition to passing these exams, he presented the Borsuk-Ulam theorem in his topology course in the winter semester. He then presented the geodetic deviation equation in his geometry class in the fall semester.

With the Hockey Wildcats, he earned a spot on the CCHA Athlete Scholars team last season and on the CCHA Academic All-Star team, as well as being named an AHCA All-American Scholar. For the AHCA award, a student-athlete must have achieved a GPA of 3.75 each semester and appear in 40% of their team’s games.

Northern Michigan University defenseman Ben Newhouse watches a play in front of him during a Wildcats game early in the 2021-22 season. (Photo courtesy of NMU)

Newhouse is an active member of the Marquette Golf Club. Prior to COVID, he spent many hours at Lakeview Arena in Marquette helping on many levels with Marquette Junior Hockey. He was also the lead instructor for the NMU Wildcat Summer Hockey Clinic.

He regularly volunteers for community and campus led events associated with NMU athletics or hockey, including frequently attending and speaking at fourth period rallies at various businesses after Saturday games, the Cativities Halloween Bash – tricking or dealing with kids in the community – and volunteering at the Marquette Marathon pit stop.

Newhouse signed to play professional hockey in Italy for ICEHL’s HC Pusteral.

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23 wild cats named

Seventeen NMU hockey players were named CCHA Athlete Scholar and earned a spot on the CCHA All-Star Team.

Half a dozen additional Wildcats earned All-Academic status.

Scholar-athletes must have at least a 3.50 GPA for their last completed semester and an overall GPA also of at least 3.50. Student-athletes in their first year of undergraduate residency at their current institution are not eligible, although graduate transfers may be based on their final overall undergraduate GPA.

All-Academic winners need a 3.00 GPA for the previous two semesters or overall.

Unsurprisingly, Newhouse made both teams and was joined in those dual honors by Tyrell Boucher of the Wildcats, Mack Byers, Mikey Colella, Trevor Cosgrove, Vincent de Mey, Rico DiMatteo, Tim Erkkila, Andre Ghantous, Bo Hanson, Jett Jungels , Nolan Kent, Connor Marritt, Michael Van Unen, Rylan Van Unen, Tanner Vescio and Brett Willits.

The other six who achieved All-Academic status were Alex Frye, Reilly Funk, Oscar Geschwind, Charlie Glockner, Garrett Klee and Joseph Nardi.

The CCHA announcement can be viewed online at https://ccha.com/news/2022/6/22/mens-ice-hockey-ccha-announces-academic-awards.aspx?utm_medium=sidearm-email&utm_source=nmuwildcats. com&utm_campaign=CCHA+Announces+All-Academic+Awards&utm_content=44e3335e-d493-464f-aac2-b15ffe9eef92.

Information compiled by Journal Sports editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.