Hobey Baker Watch: Week 15

Story posted February 26, 2017 in CommRadio, Sports by Zach Kaplan

The Hobey Baker race continues into the last weeks of the season, continuing to be as open as it has been in the last few weeks. Different performances from players across the sport continue to change the landscape of the race. With only a few weeks to play, and the scoring race continuing to heat up as the Hobey race does, here’s a look at how the race stacks up with just six games left in most team’s regular seasons.

In Atlantic Hockey, the name to watch remains Brady Ferguson (Robert Morris). With 47 points, he sits at seventh in the nation in scoring. The trio of Williams (Canisius), Marotte (Robert Morris) and Gahagen (Army) continue to make their cases by keeping their statistical paces on the season. Williams (1.83, .944) leads the nation in GAA, while Gahagen (1.90, .936) is third in save percentage and fifth in GAA and Marotte (2.09, .934) struggled this past weekend to keep pace with both in the two major categories.

In the Big Ten, Tyler Sheehy (Minnesota) remains in the top 10 in the nation in goals while Mason Jobst (Ohio State) sits just outside. The two sit are currently eighth and 12th respectively in the nation and their performances have considerably helped both teams on their quest for the NCAA tournament. There really aren’t any goalies that can contend, and there are no players inside the top 15 aside from the duo of Sheehy and Jobst.

Out of the ECAC, the duo of Mike Vecchione and Spencer Foo (Union) continue to make their case, although Vecchione has begun to fall behind in the scoring race. The two are tied at 54 points, a third-place tie nationally. While still in the race, they are both in danger of falling out of it should they begin to slack off over the next few weeks. For goaltenders, Kyle Hayton (St. Lawrence) is the only one worth keeping an eye on (2.14, .933) as his save percentage remains fifth in the country.

In Hockey East, the candidates for the award continue to stack up down the stretch. With five players over 45 points, many of the Hockey East top scorers could be leading other conferences in points just by themselves. Tyler Kelleher (UNH) now leads the nation with 57 points. The Northeastern trio of Zach Aston-Reese (56, second in the nation), Dylan Sikura (49, still fifth in the nation) and Adam Gaudette (49, tied with Sikura) continue to make their cases. For goalies, Jake Oettinger (BU) and Collin Delia (Merrimack) both sit in the top 12 in GAA. Oettinger is eighth with a 2.07 while Delia is 11th with a 2.12. Both are long-shots at contending for the award though.

The NCHC still has Austin Ortega (Omaha) leading the charge but he is beginning to fall behind with 39 points on the season, now tied for 13th in the nation. For goaltenders, Tanner Jaillet of Denver (1.84, .930) and Hunter Miska of Minnesota-Duluth (1.97, .928) continue to put on stellar seasons in net. Jaillet ranks fourth in GAA, while Miska is sixth. In save percentage, Jaillet is seventh while Miska sits at eighth.

And lastly, while the WCHA does not have much for scorers, it certainly has great goaltenders. Michael Bitzer (Bemidji State) and Angus Redmond (Michigan Tech) continue to make voters consider them in the Hobey argument with outstanding performances in net that have continued throughout the season. Bitzer continues to lead the country in GAA at 1.70, and is sixth in save percentage with a .931. Redmond sits right behind Bitzer at second in the nation for GAA at 1.77, but finds himself a paltry 16th in save percentage at .919.

Overall, the race enters the final stretch of the season with no clear-cut winner, but definitely a number of names to consider. Kelleher, Aston-Reese and Vecchione remain the top forwards, while Gahagen, Jaillet, and Bitzer being the top goaltenders up for the Hobey.

 

Zach Kaplan is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at zvk5072@psu.edu.