Hobey Baker: Week 7

Story posted November 11, 2021 in CommRadio, Sports by Maclain Young

Conference play is heating up between college hockey’s top programs and the nation’s best players are making pushes for the Hobey Baker Award.

Starting in Omaha, the top goal scorer in the country is now also the leading point-getter. Senior forward Taylor Ward increased his point total to 19 with a goal and two assists in Omaha’s series split with Miami of Ohio.

Ward’s 19 points are two more than any other player in college hockey and his 11 goals are three more than any other player.

After their series with Miami of Ohio, Omaha has slipped a bit to the No. 11 spot in the USCHO poll. However, they are still sitting pretty with a solid 8-2 record so far this season.

If Ward continues to pace the competition in goals or even points throughout the season, the Omaha alternate captain will be in the final running for the Hobey Baker Award.

Of Michigan's four top-five overall draft picks, Matty Beniers has been the standout so far. This week he earned Big Ten First Star honors after his squad swept in-state rival Michigan State.

Beniers slotted home four goals during the series while also celebrating his 19th birthday. He is now second on the Wolverines in goals with six but is quickly making his presence known.

If the sophomore forward continues to find his game on a Michigan team currently ranked No. 2 in the country, he may find himself in the conversation for the Hobey Baker Award.

Another Big Ten star whose squad is top ten in the nation is Jack LaFontaine. The No. 6 ranked Minnesota goaltender has not put up the most stellar numbers, but the veteran is starting to hit his stride.

The Golden Gophers are 3-0-0-1 to begin Big Ten play and LaFontaine has all three of those wins. Recently he stopped 37 of 38 Badger shots only allowing a power-play goal in the second period.

One sleeper candidate to consider on the Hobey Baker watch this week is Lake Superior State’s Louis Boudon.\

Boudon is currently second in the nation in points with 17 and leads in assists with 11. The Lakers have had an up and down season at 7-4-1, but Boudon has been the constant.

To put it simply, Lake Superior State has beaten the teams they should have beaten and lost to teams they were expected to lose to.

In their most recent series, the Lakers split with a talented Michigan Tech team. Boudon had the primary assist on Brandon Puricelli’s overtime goal.

As conference play has started to rage on there is still no Hobey Baker runaway, but as more and more rivalries play out, frontrunners will begin to emerge.

Maclain Young is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email macyoung21@gmail.com.