Hannah Price

When RPI athletics canceled its sports seasons for the 2020-21 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, women’s hockey sophomore defenseman Hannah Price needed something to do besides taking classes virtually.

“I figured, if I can’t put my energy into hockey, I’ve got to find another outlet,” Price said.

Price, a Pittsburgh native, did that and more.

Her community service work could fill an entire page in the Capital District Sports Women of the Year program, and that is why she is one of three collegiate recipients of the CDSWOY Award.

Here are some of the projects Price has helped create: Fresh Check Mental Health Days, Troy School 2 Reading Program and Special Olympics Basketball. She is also the RPI Food Recovery Network President, helping to save thousands of pounds of food from RPI’s dining halls for donation to a local food pantry for redistribution to the needy. And Price is her team’s Team Community Service Coordinator.

“I just incrementally started joining local organizations,” Price said. “Something that’s really special about the Troy community is that I feel like people really try to help one another out. There are quite a few community groups that really do such impactful work on a regular basis, which is kind of the most important part.

“Consistency is key, and so I kind of gradually started joining these organizations and meeting these fantastic people and I’ve been able to kind of continue that since COVID as a leader for RPI’s student-athletes and kind of just help student-athletes find entry points into the community, which has been really invaluable.”

Her efforts off the ice got her recognition nationally. She was a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist last year and this year.

“It meant a tremendous amount to me,” Price said. “I feel like it reflects really, really well on RPI’s community, on the Troy community [and] on the organizations that I’ve been a part of. And honestly, it’s just been so great seeing the amazing work happening around the country from hockey players all over the place. To be considered kind of hand in hand with what those individuals really means a lot.”

Price played in 34 games this past season, collecting five goals and two assists. In 100 career games, she collected seven goals and eight assists.

Off the ice, Price graduated in May with a 3.77 grade-point average, earning degrees in economics and sustainability studies.

“Hannah Price epitomizes the qualities of an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions on and off the ice,” RPI women’s hockey head coach Bryan Vines wrote in his nomination letter. “Her exceptional character, leadership skills, remarkable academic achievements, and commitment to athletic excellence make her an exemplary candidate for the Capital District [Sports] Women of the Year.”

Price plans to go to law school, but that can wait. She will continue her hockey career with the Sabreas, a team in the European Women’s Hockey League. She is elated with the chance to continue to play hockey.

“I’m not ready to be done with my hockey journey,” Price said. “I’m ready to travel and gain some new perspective. It should be a good gap year before I start law school.”