Falcon defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) has been named the 2006 NCHA Scholar-Athlete.

Salmela was one of the team's top defensemen. He played in all 27 games and led all Falcon defensemen in scoring. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. In his career he played in 79 games and had eight goals and 45 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners. He led all defensemen in scoring (4-17-21) in the 2002-03 season. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams.

Salmela is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and carries a 3.717 cumulative grade point average. In 2004 he was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Neuroscience. He presented cell biology and neuroscience research to the National Conference in 2004, 2005 and will do so again in this spring. Salmela was the president of the UWRF Premedical Society (2003-04) and president of the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities (SURSCA) in this school year. He was also a financial officer for SURSCA from 2003-05. He was a volunteer mentor for the Big Brothers - Big Sisters organization (2003-04) and a volunteer counselor for Youth Crisis (2003-04). He was a member of the UWRF Chem Demons, a student chemistry demonstration group in 2002-04. Salmela has worked as an undergraduate researcher in the University of Minnesota neuroscience department since 2004 and is an emergency medical technician with the River Falls Ambulance Service since 2004. He was named to the 2002 and 2003 WIAC Scholastic Honor Rolls and earned UWRF Sophomore and Junior Merit awards. He has been named to the UWRF's Dean's List seven times.

To be nominated for the NCHA Scholar-Athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average and be in his last year of competition.

The Scholar-Athlete award is presented to the most outstanding senior during the year who exhibits the greatest combination of performance and achievement in academics, athletics and leadership.

The award has been presented twice and last year UWRF's Tony Sikich earned the honor.

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