ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior goaltender Andy Iles of the Cornell men's hockey team has been named one of 20 national candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. An acronym, for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

Iles is one of seven players from ECAC Hockey on the list, joining Jack Berger (Princeton), Greg Carey (St. Lawrence), Brock Higgs (Rensselaer), Cole Ikkala (Union), Dennis Robertson (Brown) and Matt Zarbo (Clarkson).

A hometown fan favorite, Iles has started 74 consecutive games in goal for the Big Red. With most of a season yet to play, he already ranks in the program's Top 10 in saves (tied for third), shutouts (sixth), wins (tied for seventh)goals-against average (eighth) and save percentage (eighth). Iles was named to the 2012 All-Ivy League First Team, helping the Big Red capture the Ivy League title. During that season, he recorded three consecutive shutouts in November. It was second-longest shutout streak in program history, spanning 213 minutes, 35 seconds over a five-game span. But Iles wasn't done there — he posted back-to-back shutouts against St. Lawrence and Clarkson on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, respectively, spurring another lengthy shutout streak of 152:36 that ranks ninth all-time in Big Red history. In the process, he also set a record for longest streak in ECAC Hockey play of 286:54. Iles then made 898 saves in his junior season, which was the second-most for a single season in program history.
 
A natural leader with extraordinary focus and attention to detail, Iles has the distinction of serving as an assistant captain this season – a rarity for goaltenders. The last Cornell goalie to wear a letter was Darren Eliot during the 1982-83 season. He is the only member of the Big Red's senior class to be part of the captaincy this season.

Outside of the rink, Iles continues the Big Red tradition of excelling in the classroom. He has been named to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Dean's List five times, carrying a 3.78 grade point average. He is a member of the Sphinx Head Senior Honor Society, which recognizes members of the junior and senior class who have distinguished themselves in leadership and service to the university. Iles is also a member of the Red Key Society, an honor society specifically for varsity athletes which honors outstanding undergraduate contributors to the athletic program and the university as a whole through community service events.
 
Some of the community projects Iles has been involved in includes a service trip with El Portal de Belén Foundation to Don Juan, Dominican Republic, where the group was involved in the construction of a multipurpose center that will serve as a church and school in an impoverished area. In December, Iles will serve for a second time as the organizer and planner of the Cornell Hockey Teddy Bear Toss, which donates proceeds to Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes and the Franziska Racker Centers, which is a regional disability service. Iles has also worked with Feed My Starving Children, packaging meals that are sent to orphanages, schools and refugee camps, and he has volunteered in the Newfield Elementary School mentorship program and for local youth hockey teams.

The candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The winner will be announced at the 2014 NCAA Men's Frozen Four, which will be staged April 10-12 in Philadelphia, Pa.

2014 Lowe's Senior CLASS Men's Ice Hockey Candidates
Mac Bennett, Michigan
Jack Berger, Princeton
Sam Brittain, Denver
Greg Carey, St. Lawrence
Scott Czarnowczan, Ferris State
Nic Dowd, St. Cloud State
Kyle Gibbons, Canisius
Kevin Goumas, New Hampshire
Jordan Heywood, Merrimack
Brock Higgs, Rensselaer
Cole Ikkala, Union
Andy Iles, Cornell
Stephen Johns, Notre Dame
Nick Jones, Mercyhurst
Dennis Robertson, Brown
Kevin Ryan, Niagara
Steven Shamanski, Providence
Dillon Simpson, North Dakota
Ryan Walters, Nebraska Omaha
Matt Zarbo, Clarkson