Sunday, June 9, 2013

Horton and Moy Earn USHL Scholar-Athlete Award

Press Release

The United States Hockey League today announced that Jake Horton of the Waterloo Black Hawks and Tyler Moy of the Omaha Lancers are co-recipients of the 2012-13 USHL Scholar-Athlete Award.

Established in 2007, the USHL Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes players for both their success in the classroom and on the ice.  Candidates are nominated by their coaches, teachers, and academic counselors based on their grade-point-average, coursework, and overall school participation.

Horton totaled 12 points (7g, 5a) in 28 games for the Black Hawks this season.  Two of his first four goals were shorthanded tallies, both coming in games against the Omaha Lancers.  Waterloo posted a 6-1-0 record in games that Horton scored a goal.  He also helped the Black Hawks capture the silver medal at the 2012 Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia has he netted two goals during the international competition.

The 18-year-old was limited in game action this season due to an injury suffered in January, but despite missing significant class time due to rehabilitating the injury, he maintained a commitment to academics.  Horton’s efforts paid off as he graduated from Waterloo West High School last month as one of 11 valedictorians in the class of more than 300 students.  His coursework this year included Speech, World History, U.S. Government, Psychology, Literature, and Creative Writing.

Horton was able to achieve academic success while his hockey pursuits had him enrolled in three different high schools over the past four years.  He managed to balance the on and off-ice demands of the season, along with balancing schoolwork and team community service projects.  The Lake Elmo, Minnesota native has not yet committed to a college and is set to return to the Waterloo Black Hawks for the 2013-14 season.

Moy was one of just three Omaha Lancers to appear in all 64 regular season games.  He produced 23 points (4g, 19a) and ranked fourth on the team in assists.  The 17-year-old scored his first USHL goal in his seventh game while also dishing out two assists for a career high three points.  He was selected by the Lancers in the second round (26th overall) of the 2011 USHL Futures Draft before making his debut in the League this season.

While making the big transition to the rigors of USHL hockey, the San Diego, California also adjusted to a new school and continued to excel in the new environment.  He was a straight “A” student at Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska with coursework that included Advanced Placement Calculus, Speech, World Geography, U.S. Government & Economics, Speech, Personal Finance, and Computer Technology during the 2012-13 academic year.

Moy also participated in over 80 hours of team community service activities in addition to the full schedule of hockey and classroom time.  He volunteered to assist the Jr. Lancers youth hockey program and Special Olympics floor hockey team as well as numerous elementary school reading functions and hospital visits.  After his lone season in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers, he will begin an Ivy League education this fall and play hockey at Harvard University.

"One of the true hallmarks of the USHL, and the American development model we so proudly promote, is the fact that it's education-based." said USHL President and Commissioner Skip Prince.  "Jake Horton and Tyler Moy are just outstanding examples of young men who have carried their commitment to excellence off the ice and into the classroom and community.  Playing in the USHL is as physically and emotionally demanding an experience as an American athlete can have, in any sport, and it's not easy to bring that same energy and focus to studies – but that's what these scholar-athletes are about.  Congratulations to Jake and the Waterloo Black Hawks, and Tyler and the Omaha Lancers, for earning one of our most important and distinguished awards."

Other nominations for the 2012-13 USHL Scholar-Athlete Award included Bo Pieper of the Indiana Ice (committed to Quinnipiac University) who was a straight “A” student while taking college preparatory courses at The George Washington University Online High School; J.T. Compher of Team USA (committed to University of Michigan) who maintained a 4.0 GPA for consecutive semesters while also volunteering as a student aid for the Disability Awareness Program at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michael Kapla of the Sioux City Musketeers (committed to University of Massachusetts-Lowell) who held a 3.8 GPA with coursework at Sioux City East High School that included English, Calculus, and Government; Tony Calderone of the Sioux Falls Stampede (committed to Princeton University) who took accelerated courses in Speech, Personal Finance, and Creative Writing at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls and maintained a 3.68 GPA; Clark Kuster of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (committed to St. Cloud State University) who met his graduation requirements early at Cedar Rapids Washington High School with coursework that included Language Arts, Economics, and Government.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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