Northeastern’s Missy Elumba was named the 2009 recipient of the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award on Friday in a ceremony at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. during the NCAA Frozen Four. The Humanitarian Award is given to college hockey’s finest citizen and recognizes accomplishments of personal character, scholarship and the giving of oneself off the ice to the larger community.

“I am blown away by being named to this award,” Elumba said. “I don’t even think I deserve it, but being recognized for this honor is merely a testament to the importance of putting others before yourself. That is a value I live my life by.”

Elumba is the 14th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award and joins Husky All-American Chanda Gunn, who won the award as a senior in 2004. Northeastern is the only school with two Hockey Humanitarian Award winners.

Elumba has been consistently involved in a number of volunteer, humanitarian and philanthropic efforts throughout her five years at Northeastern. As part of the health science major’s many volunteer experiences, she spearheaded the creation of Northeastern Students4Giving, an on-campus group focused on teaching Northeastern students how to be philanthropic.

Elumba also ventured outside the Northeastern campus to provide extensive help to individuals and communities in the greater Boston area. At MOMS and MORE, a substance abuse program for Latino and African American mothers, Elumba ran a holiday toy drive to benefit the women’s families.

With the Boston Medical Center Grow Clinic she assisted with patient home visits and public relations work, managed donations, planned child activities and improved patient compliance through building professional and trusting relationships with the patients and their families.

Upon graduation, Elumba plans to continue her community service work before enrolling in medical school.

In other Northeastern sporting news, junior goaltender Brad Thiessen, who signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins last week, was named a first-team All-American in a ceremony Friday night at the Verizon Center. The Hockey East Player of the Year was one of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists for the 2009 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which honors college hockey’s top player. Boston University defenseman Matt Gilroy won the award.

Thiessen enjoyed the most successful season of any goaltender in Northeastern history. He set school records in every major category, including wins (25), goals against average (2.12), save percentage (.931), saves (1,195), games (41) and minutes (2,495:44). He is Northeastern’s career leader in goals against average (2.40), save percentage (.922) and shutouts (nine).

The journalism major was recently named New England MVP and a New England All-Star. He was also selected as the Hockey East ITECH Goaltending Champion and received the Hockey East “Three Stars” Award.

The men’s hockey team finished the regular season in second place in Hockey East for the second time in team history and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. Northeastern lost to Cornell, 3-2, in the first round of the tournament.