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November 21, 2006
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is presented
to a deserving recipient on the day before the last
college hockey game of the season. But that doesn’t
mean that college hockey fans, players and media members
don’t think about it all season. In yet another
new coverage item presented by Inside College Hockey
for the 2006-07 season, we introduce Hobey Tracker with
a look at the top three candidates, those whose stock
is rising, and other players worthy of consideration.
| THE
BIG BOARD |
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1. Michel
Léveillé
Maine
Senior | Forward |
Last
Week: Two goals and one assist in the Black
Bears' come-from-ahead loss to Boston College Sunday.
The Buzz: Despite
the disappointing outcome against the Eagles, Léveillé
was the best player on the ice Sunday. He scored
his first goal on a seeing-eye shot from just inside
the blue line, and got his second by one-timing
a nifty feed from Billy Ryan. He also set up Mike
Hamilton's second-period goal. |
2. Nathan Davis
Miami
Junior | Forward |
Last
Week: Two goals and three assists as the
RedHawks swept Nebraska-Omaha in Oxford.
The
Buzz: Davis is poised to turn these ratings
into a 1A-1B scenario as opposed to a 1-2 approach.
He ranks among the nation's best in points (second),
goals (tied for third), assists (tied for third),
power-play goals (tied for seventh), and shorthanded
goals (tied for first.) And he's only taken four
minor penalties in the process. |
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3. David Brown
Notre Dame
Senior | Goalie
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Last
Week: 26 saves in a 4-1 win vs. Michigan
State; 15 saves in a 2-0 loss at Michigan State.
The Buzz: Saturday's start, which
came on the heels of a fine performance against
the Spartans at the Joyce Center, was only the second
clunker of the year for Brown. This weekend, he
and the Irish get to face a reeling Nebraska-Omaha
team that's winless in its last seven games (0-5-2). |
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BULL
MARKET |
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Brian Boyle
Boston College
Senior
Forward |
Mr.
Boyle, we were awfully critical a few weeks ago
of your tendency to disappear in games of relative
importance. Your effort against Maine Sunday –
a goal and two assists, one of which set up linemate
Joe Rooney's game-winning tally in overtime –
was impressive. After scoring three points (all
assists) in seven games between Oct. 20-Nov. 7,
you've got six points in your last three outings.
Keep up the good work over the next three weeks
in games against New Hampshire, Boston University,
and UMass and you won't just be knocking on the
door of the Big Board. You're liable to kick the
sucker in. |
| BEAR
MARKET |
Jonathan Toews
North Dakota
Sophomore
Forward |
It's tough
to be too hard on Toews, who missed three games
after being injured in a loss to Maine in Grand
Forks Oct. 20. And though he's scoring at a point-a-game
clip (nine point in nine games) it must be noted
that three of his goals and one assist came in the
team's win against Quinnipiac Oct. 7. The see-sawing
Sioux have scored two or fewer goals in half of
their games this season; that's very un-North Dakota-like.
As much as more scoring from Toews would boost his
Hobey hopes, it's absolutely imperative he start
producing offensively if North Dakota hopes to stay
afloat in the ultra-competitive WCHA. |
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HIDDEN
HOBEY |
Brandon Wong
Quinnipiac
Freshman
Forward
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Talk of
Wong contending for Hobey honors this year is probably
a bit premature, but thanks in part to the efforts
of the ECAC Hockey League's leader in goals (10)
and points (16), Quinnipiac is perched atop the
conference standings in just its second year in
the circuit. With two goals and three assists in
wins against Colgate and Cornell last weekend, the
Victoria, B.C., native extended his point streak
to seven games. Wong and the rest of the Bobcats
face another stern test this weekend as they face
Harvard and Dartmouth on the road. |
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