The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Daniel Ciampini, Union: The senior forward scored four goals in Frozen Four play a year ago, helping lead the Dutchmen to a national championship, and may have the best name recognition of anyone in the field. Not surprisingly, Ciampini ranks first nationally in goals (23) and is fifth in points per game (1.40) through Feb. 16. The senior is fighting history, however. No ECAC player has won the Hobey since Harvard's Lane MacDonald in 1989. Jack Eichel, Boston University: In 34 years of the Hobey Baker Award, Maine's Paul Kariya is the lone skater to earn the honor in his rookie campaign (1992- 93), but Eichel is making a compelling case, ranking first nationally with 1.74 points per game through Feb. 16. The freshman centerman has led Boston U. to a 19-5-4 overall mark (third in the Pairwise Rankings) and first place in Hockey East (13-3-2). The Terriers have a strong hockey history, and Eichel would be the program's third Hobey winner and first since Matt Gilroy in 2009. Zach Hyman, Michigan: The Wolverines are looking to become only the fifth program in college hockey with three or more Hobey winners, joining Minnesota-Duluth (five winners), Minnesota (four), Boston College (three) and Harvard (three), and has the fan-favorite — Hyman's 42,423 fan votes dwarfed that of No. 2 Zach McIntyre of North Dakota (19,141 votes by Feb. 16). The se- nior alternate captain has points in 18 of 26 games this season, and is on pace for a 57-point campaign. Mike Vecchione, Union: The sophomore forward scored a pair of goals at the 2014 Frozen Four, including a marker in the title game, and ranks among the nation's most prolific point producers, sitting sixth nationally with 1.33 per game. His 25 helpers this season ranks seventh among the country's elite playmakers through Feb. 16. Like Eichel, though, he has to overcome bias that favors upperclassmen; the last sophomore to win the Hobey was North Da- kota's Ryan Duncan in 2007, and he is just one of three sophomores to do so. Casey Bailey, Penn State: In only its third season as a varsity program, Penn State is a feel-good story in college hockey, and Bailey could benefit from that strong sentiment. The Nittany Lions are challenging Michigan and Minnesota for the Big Ten regular-season title, two points back (24 to 22) and 7-4-1 in league play, thanks to the junior. He has a team-high 34 points on 20 goals and 14 assists, ranking fourth in the country in goal scoring and 14th in points per game (1.21). Matt Garbowsky, RIT: No one from the Atlantic Hockey Conference has ever taken home the Hobey Baker, so Garbowsky has a huge challenge in front of him. The senior has a few things going for him, though: he ranks second in the country in goals (21) through Feb. 16, and is sixth in points (1.33 per game). The senior is well liked and respected throughout college hockey, but with RIT 12-13-5 overall this season and No. 46 in the Pairwise Rankings, Garbowsky probably has too much to overcome. — Michael Spath