UWRF EXPERIENCE IS AWESOME

by Trent Jackson

Los Angeles native Sam Anzai, a four-year member of the UWRiver Falls men’s hockey team, spent years playing junior hockey all over the map from Canada to Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t until he stepped on campus that he felt he found his new home in River Falls. Recruited to UWRF as a hockey player, he went on many visits but the community aspect in River Falls made a difference.

“Right away I felt very comfortable with everyone from the guys on the team and all the staff at the Falcon Center,” Anzai said.

“Everybody I met was very kind and took their time to make me feel comfortable.”

Four years later and Anzai has missed just three games throughout his hockey career while developing into a leader on and off the ice. A hockey team captain, he received a degree in spring 2023 in neuroscience and biomedical and health science and capped off his undergraduate career as one of seven students to receive the Chancellor’s Award, the highest non-academic honor students can receive at the university. The award recognizes students who have shown distinguished leadership and service while on campus. He’s served as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Falcon Athletics Five-Year Strategic Planning Committee, and the Faculty Senate Athletics Committee.

A regular on the Dean’s List while graduating with a 3.98 cumulative GPA, Anzai is well respected by his teammates, coaches, and fellow Falcon student-athletes, receiving accolades such as his team’s Student-Athlete of the Year, UWRF Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the Falcon Fly High Award.

“That’s cool recognition for sure. I want to be a role model and for others to see you can be successful in hockey and academics. The Scholar Athlete Award is probably the most meaningful to me because there are so many other studentathletes that were deserving of it,” Anzai humbly said.

Sam has found a home in River Falls, and “every summer I come back saying I get more excited to come back,” he said, so he decided to stay for more.

Anzai is slated to return to UWRF for another year, planning to use his fifth year of athletic eligibility in 2023-24, granted after the shortened 2020 scheduled due to COVID-19 while pursuing a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology.

“All the people in River Falls have become a part of my life, staff, coaches, other athletes,” he said. “It’s the little things like people saying ‘hi’ on the street. The community and how tight-knitted it is, I’ve never experienced anything like it. I’ve been able to carve out a career path and my education and overall knowledge has really expanded, which has been one of the things I’m most grateful for coming to River Falls. There are a lot of things that made my experience for four years awesome.”