Feature by Davis Dupree, SDA Communications Intern
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Jake Clifford has never been one to put himself first on or off the ice.
Clifford – or Cliff, as his teammates call him – was recruited out of Brecksville, Ohio to help build a tradition at Arizona State in their inaugural Division I season as a defenseman, an opportunity he knew he wanted to pursue.
One year passed and he didn't play much, seeing ice time in just half of the Sun Devils' inaugural contests. But that was okay as plenty of freshmen throughout college athletics see limited playing time.
Then another year passed and Clifford still wasn't playing. Looking ahead, with a talented recruiting class full of defensemen coming in, the following year wasn't looking too bright either. Clifford knew he wanted to be out there helping his team.
To do that, he needed to make a change.
That opportunity presented itself towards the end of his sophomore season against then-No. 17 Quinnipiac. The Sun Devils were down a forward for the game and Clifford, who played some forward during his junior career, volunteered to play as a forward that night if head coach Greg Powers needed him.
"Maybe I was a little tentative at first, but my first two years I didn't really play much," Clifford said about making the switch. "I didn't want to sit in the stands any more. Whatever opportunity I was given I wanted to take it and run with it and be my very best at it."
Clifford ended up playing forward in that game, and it's safe to say the coaches liked what they saw. In the final two games of the 2016-17 season, both against the USA U-18 Development Team, he found himself back on the ice at forward.
Following the conclusion of the season, coach Powers and the staff conducted their annual end-of-year meetings with each player to evaluate their performance. It was there that the change was officially made.
"He is a kid that because of his commitment to our program and work ethic on and off the ice and how much of a leader he started to become, we had to figure out a way to make him more involved," said coach Powers. "His presence makes us better."
"It was a mutual understanding that I wanted to help the team any way I could," Clifford said. "If that was me playing forward, I was 100 percent willing to do it."
Despite not being on the ice early on, Clifford focused on the controllable and worked hard to be a leader. He's what they call in hockey a "locker room guy".
"He has a tremendous natural leadership ability to him and that is what we liked when we recruited him, and it has really come out," Powers said. "He is looked at as one of our leaders by everybody."
After seeing the ice in 16 games his sophomore season, Clifford played in 32 of the 34 games last season as a forward along the third and fourth lines.
He made an impact quickly, netting his first collegiate goal and tacking on an assist in just the second game of the season against then-No. 18 Air Force.
"He did a great job; he got better and better," Powers said. "I think now that he has a full year under his belt up front, he is going to understand what his role is going to be and what he needs to do to be even more effective this season. I don't have any doubt in my mind that he'll do it."
As he continues to make an increasing impact on the ice, his impact off the ice continues to be recognized and felt by many.
Clifford was named the 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Hockey Scholar Athlete of the Year for all of Division I. The award factors in not only athletic ability but requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 and someone who is heavily involved in the community.
"I was very humbled to receive that award," said Clifford. "I didn't expect to win that award at all and it was just a great moment. It just goes to show that things do get noticed when you put in the time and effort."
Before his senior season begins, Clifford will already have a degree in business communications, and will have begun pursuing his master's degree in Legal Studies. All while boasting a 3.42 GPA.
"For him to finish his degree in three years and put in that time, which was 18 hours a semester plus summer school, just goes to show how dedicated he is," said Student-Athlete Development Manager Natalie Thackrah, the academic coach for men's hockey team. "The fact he was able to do that and compete in hockey is unbelievable."
If playing Division I hockey and graduating in three years didn't keep him busy enough, Clifford is also a team leader in community service.
"He is always the first to volunteer front and center and helps organize it and leads the charge," Powers said.
Clifford attributes his willingness and want to participate in community service to Luke Pierce, his BCHL coach with the Merritt Centennials. That team was often engaging with its community and emphasized the value of service, which wore off on Clifford.
Clifford said one of his favorite events is visiting the Phoenix Children's Hospital, something Sun Devils across all the athletic programs do on a monthly basis. Clifford is a frequent visitor to the Children's Hospital, where he enjoys playing air hockey and video games with the kids and being a bright spot in often tough situations.
His favorite event from last year though, unsurprisingly, involved hockey. The team hosted special needs children and skated with them on their home ice at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe.
"To share that moment with them and they are just having a blast, it was really special," Clifford said. "I am looking forward to doing that again."
Heading into his senior season, and as the first four-year graduating class of Sun Devil Hockey's young program, Clifford is personifying the program's mantra of 'Be the Tradition' that attracted him and his teammates to Tempe.
He is on top of his academics and will begin his final year with one degree already in hand. He plans to continue working hard in the community, leaving an impact any way that he can. And for the first time as a Sun Devil, he knows what his role will be when he takes the ice on Oct. 6 in the season opener vs. Alaska-Fairbanks at Oceanside Ice Arena.
But focusing on himself has never been his M.O. His main goal is to help the team to its first winning record in the short history of the program. If that means making another move, he would be happy to do it.
"I am just so grateful for where I am in my life and I couldn't be happier to wear the Maroon and Gold for one more year."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Jake Clifford has never been one to put himself first on or off the ice.
Clifford – or Cliff, as his teammates call him – was recruited out of Brecksville, Ohio to help build a tradition at Arizona State in their inaugural Division I season as a defenseman, an opportunity he knew he wanted to pursue.
One year passed and he didn't play much, seeing ice time in just half of the Sun Devils' inaugural contests. But that was okay as plenty of freshmen throughout college athletics see limited playing time.
Then another year passed and Clifford still wasn't playing. Looking ahead, with a talented recruiting class full of defensemen coming in, the following year wasn't looking too bright either. Clifford knew he wanted to be out there helping his team.
To do that, he needed to make a change.
Everyone loves the @cliff_show!
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) February 2, 2018
Great feature by @briepeters & @CronkiteSports for your pregame reading! https://t.co/oUKLWjFEYw
That opportunity presented itself towards the end of his sophomore season against then-No. 17 Quinnipiac. The Sun Devils were down a forward for the game and Clifford, who played some forward during his junior career, volunteered to play as a forward that night if head coach Greg Powers needed him.
"Maybe I was a little tentative at first, but my first two years I didn't really play much," Clifford said about making the switch. "I didn't want to sit in the stands any more. Whatever opportunity I was given I wanted to take it and run with it and be my very best at it."
Clifford ended up playing forward in that game, and it's safe to say the coaches liked what they saw. In the final two games of the 2016-17 season, both against the USA U-18 Development Team, he found himself back on the ice at forward.
Following the conclusion of the season, coach Powers and the staff conducted their annual end-of-year meetings with each player to evaluate their performance. It was there that the change was officially made.
"He is a kid that because of his commitment to our program and work ethic on and off the ice and how much of a leader he started to become, we had to figure out a way to make him more involved," said coach Powers. "His presence makes us better."
"It was a mutual understanding that I wanted to help the team any way I could," Clifford said. "If that was me playing forward, I was 100 percent willing to do it."
Despite not being on the ice early on, Clifford focused on the controllable and worked hard to be a leader. He's what they call in hockey a "locker room guy".
"He has a tremendous natural leadership ability to him and that is what we liked when we recruited him, and it has really come out," Powers said. "He is looked at as one of our leaders by everybody."
After seeing the ice in 16 games his sophomore season, Clifford played in 32 of the 34 games last season as a forward along the third and fourth lines.
He made an impact quickly, netting his first collegiate goal and tacking on an assist in just the second game of the season against then-No. 18 Air Force.
"He did a great job; he got better and better," Powers said. "I think now that he has a full year under his belt up front, he is going to understand what his role is going to be and what he needs to do to be even more effective this season. I don't have any doubt in my mind that he'll do it."
As he continues to make an increasing impact on the ice, his impact off the ice continues to be recognized and felt by many.
Clifford was named the 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Hockey Scholar Athlete of the Year for all of Division I. The award factors in not only athletic ability but requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 and someone who is heavily involved in the community.
Congrats to @cliff_show on being named the Men's Hockey Division I Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete of the Year. ??????
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) March 16, 2018
Release: https://t.co/c5hBrebrXP pic.twitter.com/CTwnKm0pxz
"I was very humbled to receive that award," said Clifford. "I didn't expect to win that award at all and it was just a great moment. It just goes to show that things do get noticed when you put in the time and effort."
Before his senior season begins, Clifford will already have a degree in business communications, and will have begun pursuing his master's degree in Legal Studies. All while boasting a 3.42 GPA.
"For him to finish his degree in three years and put in that time, which was 18 hours a semester plus summer school, just goes to show how dedicated he is," said Student-Athlete Development Manager Natalie Thackrah, the academic coach for men's hockey team. "The fact he was able to do that and compete in hockey is unbelievable."
If playing Division I hockey and graduating in three years didn't keep him busy enough, Clifford is also a team leader in community service.
"He is always the first to volunteer front and center and helps organize it and leads the charge," Powers said.
Clifford attributes his willingness and want to participate in community service to Luke Pierce, his BCHL coach with the Merritt Centennials. That team was often engaging with its community and emphasized the value of service, which wore off on Clifford.
Clifford said one of his favorite events is visiting the Phoenix Children's Hospital, something Sun Devils across all the athletic programs do on a monthly basis. Clifford is a frequent visitor to the Children's Hospital, where he enjoys playing air hockey and video games with the kids and being a bright spot in often tough situations.
His favorite event from last year though, unsurprisingly, involved hockey. The team hosted special needs children and skated with them on their home ice at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe.
"To share that moment with them and they are just having a blast, it was really special," Clifford said. "I am looking forward to doing that again."
Heading into his senior season, and as the first four-year graduating class of Sun Devil Hockey's young program, Clifford is personifying the program's mantra of 'Be the Tradition' that attracted him and his teammates to Tempe.
He is on top of his academics and will begin his final year with one degree already in hand. He plans to continue working hard in the community, leaving an impact any way that he can. And for the first time as a Sun Devil, he knows what his role will be when he takes the ice on Oct. 6 in the season opener vs. Alaska-Fairbanks at Oceanside Ice Arena.
But focusing on himself has never been his M.O. His main goal is to help the team to its first winning record in the short history of the program. If that means making another move, he would be happy to do it.
"I am just so grateful for where I am in my life and I couldn't be happier to wear the Maroon and Gold for one more year."