January 2, 2007
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. Inside College
Hockey's Hobey Tracker looks at the top three candidates
for the award, those whose stock is rising or falling,
and other players worthy of consideration.
THE
BIG BOARD |
1. Nathan Davis
Miami
Junior | Forward |
Last
Week: No points as the RedHawks beat Bowling
Green and lost to Ohio State at the Ohio Hockey
Classic.
The Buzz: We toyed with the idea
of dropping Davis, who has gone three straight games
without registering a point, out of the top spot.
But we'll give him one more week –
Miami plays a crucial home series with Michigan
State this weekend –
to make a case for himself. |
2. David Brown
Notre Dame
Senior | Goalie |
Last
Week: Two wins, 35 saves, 5 goals against
in the Fighting Irish's sweep of Northern Michigan.
The Buzz: Even
though he's allowed 11 goals in his last four starts,
Brown moves up a spot, in part, because Notre Dame
moves up to second in this week's INCH Power Rankings.
He'll likely make just one start this weekend, as
Notre Dame plays a home-and-home non-conference
series with Robert Morris. |
3. Trevor Smith
New Hampshire
Soph. | Forward |
Last
Week: Two assists as the Wildcats lost
to Cornell and beat Western Michigan at the Florida
College Classic.
The Buzz: Smith picked up a pair
of assists in the win against Western –
including his first special teams point of the season
–
but he hasn't scored a goal in seven games and has
just five points during that span. Still the Hockey
East leader in scoring, Smith needs to find the
back of the net to stay in the top three. |
|
BULL
MARKET |
Nick Dodge
Clarkson
Junior
Forward |
Dodge
is one of the most complete all-around players in
college hockey and his value to the Golden Knights
is as much in his penalty-killing and ability to
win face offs, as it is in his scoring. He is about
a point-per-game contributor on offense, but serious
Hobey consideration for Dodge probably won't happen
because other players will have higher point totals.
Last week, however, Dodge moved past Steve Zalewski
into the scoring lead for Clarkson and his five
points in two games — including a hat trick
against Wisconsin goalie Brian Elliott — earned
him MVP honors at the Badger Hockey Showdown. |
BEAR
MARKET |
Kyle
Okposo
Minnesota
Freshman
Forward |
You'll
remember that prior to the holidays, we wrote that
anyone from Minnesota would have trouble winning
the Hobey because of the Gophers' outstanding balance.
So why single out Okposo this time around? Because
he had developed great chemistry with ex-linemate
Tyler Hirsch, who was booted from the team last
weekend. To wit: Of Okposo's 15 goals in the first
half of the season, Hirsch had assisted on eight
and earned the first assist on seven. Granted, Okposo
is so talented that a guy with a wet mop skating
on his line could get a half-dozen helpers, but
it's not a stretch to assume that Hirsch's dismissal
could have a residual effect ... at least in the
short term. |
|
HIDDEN
HOBEY |
James Sixsmith
Holy Cross
Senior
Forward
|
Sixsmith
is the third player from Atlantic Hockey to feature
in this portion of the Hobey Tracker, joining fellow
conference stalwarts Eric Ehn of Air Force and Pierre-Luc
O'Brien of Sacred Heart. His 28 points in 19 games
compare favorably with those other two players,
but Holy Cross has a sub-.500 record in league play
and overall. |
|