Star goalie Lerg adds new award to resume

Senior goaltender Jeff Lerg has received numerous awards for his play between the pipes for the MSU hockey team throughout his career.

Now he’s received recognition for his accolades off the ice.

Lerg was selected as the Michigan College Athlete of the Year on May 12, an award given to one male and one female collegiate athlete from the state.

The award was a tribute to Lerg’s excellence in academics and athletics, as well as his commitment to the community.

“I think this was even more important than a hockey award because you are only going to play hockey for so long and this award shows that your life is on the right path,” Lerg said. “It’s a huge award because it tells the character of a person.”

The All-America goalie has also received numerous awards for his play on the ice.

Last season, Lerg was a Hobey Baker finalist and a CCHA first team goaltender on his way to earning team MVP honors for the second straight season. His leadership helped guide the Spartans to a national championship in his sophomore season.

Lerg’s work ethic and time management skills have helped him excel as a student-athlete at MSU, head coach Rick Comley said.

“Sometimes your best players aren’t your hardest workers, but in this case Jeff is both,” Comley said. “He has a daily quest to do things the right way.”

Striving in the classroom has been one of Lerg’s top priorities since high school. The finance major had a 3.75 grade-point average after the fall semester.

“I always tried to get a 100 percent on tests and it has just carried into college,” he said.

The MSU hockey team prides itself on community involvement, and Lerg has always been one of the first people to volunteer his time, Comley said.

He participates in many volunteer activities, but his main focus is with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, where he and his teammates hang out with boys who don’t have male figures in their lives.

“It’s good to give back because we didn’t get here by ourselves,” Lerg said. “It’s good to give someone a lift when they need it.”

Lerg is a true leader both on and off the ice, former MSU defenseman Daniel Vukovic said.

“We all do what we can to help the community, and Jeff is always at the forefront of these activities,” Vukovic said. “(He) has a real professional attitude and he brings it every day. He’s always a guy you can call for anything.”

Published on Monday, May 19, 2008