ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior forward Kyle Betts of the Cornell men's hockey team has been nominated for the 2022 ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Monday morning.
 
The honor is considered the top annual award doled out by ECAC Hockey. Nominees are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA and go above and beyond the already-rigorous role of a student-athlete, volunteering in the community and making an impact as a campus leader.
 
Betts is more than a solid candidate – he won the honor in 2021 as the Big Red sat idle through a lost season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It marked the fourth time the Big Red laid claim to the prestigious accolade since its inception in 2007.
 
While a solid on-ice contributor for Cornell, Betts' resume as a student is impressive on its own. An Electrical & Computer Engineering major in the College of Engineering, Betts has sported a GPA of 4.0 or higher in all but two of his semesters to date. He's served as a teachers' assistant, where he's received rave reviews from both professors and students. Outside the classroom, he's volunteered in countless endeavors, including the coaches vs. cancer events, a mentor program in the nearby Newfield School District, and a mission trip to the Dominican Republic with the Portel de Belen Foundation.
 
On the ice, Betts is enjoying a breakthrough season offensive while continuing to provide his trademarked defensive acumen. His 18 points on six goals and 12 assists through the 29 regular-season games are already a career high, highlighted by nine points in the team's nine February games.
 
The field of three finalists for the award is expected to be announced on Friday, while the winner will be unveiled during the final weekend of the ECAC Hockey Championships, which are held March 18-19 in Lake Placid.