Northeastern goalie Chanda Gunn, winner of the 2004 Hockey Humanitarian Award, is also this year’s winner of the Honda Inspiration Award.
Gunn overcame epilepsy to become one of the nation’s top female collegiate hockey stars. She is a member of the Team USA and recently played in the Women’s International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Halifax, N.S.
Gunn, 24, attended Wisconsin as a freshman, then transferred to Northeastern. Her hometown is Huntington Beach, Calif.
As a senior, Gunn led the nation in save percentage (.938) and was 10th in goals against average (1.94). She was named a first-team All-American, 2004 Hockey East Co-MVP and a Hockey East first-team all-star.
She is the all-time Northeastern career saves leader (244) and career saves percentage leader (.938). She ranks second in goals against average (1.93) and third in career games played (88) and minutes played (5,191). She is fourth all-time in shutouts (11) and fifth in wins (38).
The award is presented by College Women Sports Awards, which recognizes the top female athlete in each of 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.
The Humanitarian award highlights scholastic achievements and community service efforts, as well as athletic skills. From 1995-98, she was volunteer coach with the local mite and squirt teams in her area of California, and she began coaching in the “Skate/Mommy and Me” programs. She also began working at summer clinics, camps and pre-season practices for the Cal Selects girls hockey program. She then spent a year at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn. that she attended after graduating from Marina High School in California. At Taft, she worked in a soup kitchen. At Northeastern, she began assisting the local U112 South Shore Kings. She also participated in Campus Clean Up Day, and volunteered for the Boston Breakers in the initial season of the WUSA. She organized the team to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, remains active in the CFF and is a Hospice volunteer. She also works with several other organizations.
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards, now in its 29th year, recognizes the top woman athlete in each of 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. In separate balloting involving NCAA member schools, the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year is selected to receive the Honda-Broderick Cup. In addition, the program honors the top women athletes representing Division II and Division III schools. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Awards Program.
