University of Minnesota Athletics
Peters Named Hockey Humanitarian Finalist
2/5/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalists
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota senior goaltender Sidney Peters has been selected as one of five finalists for the 2018 Hockey Humanitarian Award, which is presented annually to college hockey's "finest citizen" for leadership in community service, the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation announced today.
Peters joins senior forward Camil Blanchet (Bowdoin College), senior forward Courtney Pensavalle (Yale), junior forward Luke Rivera (SUNY Fredonia), and senior forward Lauren Spring (Ohio State) to make up this year's award finalists.
The 2018 Hockey Humanitarian Award recipient will be honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 6 as part of the NCAA Men's Frozen Four weekend in St. Paul, Minn. The Foundation presents the award annually to college hockey's finest citizen - a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
Peters' contributions on the ice, in the classroom, and in the community at the University of Minnesota over the past five seasons are immeasurable. Wise beyond her years, Peters brings a grounded perspective to the Gophers' locker room and is the first to say that, while she loves the sport, there is more to life than hockey. Her teammates describe her as compassionate, dedicated, and thoughtful.
A fifth-year senior for the Gophers, Peters is a four-year letterwinner for the University of Minnesota. A two-time NCAA national champion team member, Peters has appeared in 75 games with a career record of 49-14-6. After seeing limited playing time her first two seasons in uniform, Peters backstopped the Gophers to an NCAA Frozen Four berth last season. Her 49 wins, 15 shutouts, 1.65 goals against average, and 1,270 total all rank fifth among all-time Gopher goaltenders. Peters ranks sixth in program history with a .918 career save percentage.
A three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, WCHA All-Academic, and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Peters will graduate with a degree in Kinesiology with a minor in biology with plans to attend medical school. Peters has completed research within the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and has applied for medical school for Fall 2018 with hopes to go into the military and eventually work for the Air Force.
Perhaps even more impressive than her playing statistics or her success in the classroom, Peters has logged over 785 volunteer hours with various community outreach volunteer activities as a Gopher as of Dec. 2017. A certified Emergency Medical Technician, Peters has spent significant time volunteering with the University of Minnesota EMS and the Rush-Copley Emergency Department in Aurora, Ill., near her hometown of Geneva, Ill.
Peters traveled to Haiti during summer 2016 with Project Medishare, which is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of all Haitians by empowering Haitians to provide and receive access to comprehensive, quality health care. She spent eight days in Haiti volunteering at Hospital Bernard Mevs, the country's only critical care and trauma hospital, as well as the only newborn and pediatric intensive care unit.
Combining her love of hockey and her faith, Peters volunteered as the head goalie coach for Hockey Ministries International at the organization's camp in Chicago for two years.
Her volunteer experience during her Gopher career also includes significant experience giving back locally with HopeKids, Special Olympics Minnesota, and University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital along with efforts at local elementary and middle schools and youth hockey associations.
Peters has also volunteered at events with The Salvation Army, Minneapolis Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Courage Kenny wheelchair basketball, Athletes in Action, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities, Playworks, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Minnesota Special Hockey, and Girls and Women in Sports Day. She has assisted with the annual Gopher Athletics food drive, University of Minnesota's Unlimited Dance Marathon, Golden Gopher Fund events, 2014 Goldy's Run, and 2014 Strikeout Cancer event at Gopher Baseball.
The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation will make a donation to the charity most important to each of the five finalists. These donations are made possible with the generous support of the award's partners and donors.
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