Polacek Finalist for Hobey Baker Award

TROY, N.Y. – The Top Ten Finalists for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top men’s college hockey player in the U.S., have been announced and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Chase Polacek is one of the remaining candidates.

Polacek, a junior forward from Edina, Minn., played in all 39 games this season, tallying 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. He had 13 power play goals, two shorthanded goals and 40 penalty minutes.The ECAC Hockey Player of the Year currently ranks second in the nation in power play goals, third in goals and points, seventh in goals per game (0.67) and points per game (1.33) and ninth in shorthanded goals (2).

In 22 ECAC Hockey games, Polacek recorded 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points. Six of his markers came on the power play and two were shorthanded. He was first in points, points per game (1.59), power play points (15), shorthanded goals and shorthanded points (5). The Academy of Holy Angels graduate was also third in goals, assists, goals per game (0.77) and assists per game (0.82) and fourth in power play goals.

During the course of the season, Polacek had a 14-game point streak and five streaks of two points or more. He also compiled a six-game goal scoring streak and had a five-game assist streak. He was held without a point no longer than two straight games.

In 116 career games, Polacek has 44 goals and 68 assists for 112 points. He had 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists) in 38 games as a freshman and 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) as a sophomore. He led the team in goals, assists and points in 2008-09 and assists in his first season.

RPI has had seven other Hobey Baker Award finalists since the honor was originally bestowed following the 1980-81 season. They are:

• Adam Oates (forward) in 1984-85
• Joe Juneau (forward) in 1989-90
• Joe Juneau (forward) in 1990-91
• Neil Little (goaltender) in 1993-94
• Eric Healey (forward) in 1997-98
• Joel Laing (goaltender) in 1999-00
• Marc Cavosie (forward) in 2001-02

The Top Ten list is compiled from balloting from all 58 Division I college hockey head coaches and by an on-line fan ballot at www.hobeybaker.com. The Top Ten list will now be voted on by the 24-member Selection Committee and a second round of fan balloting, to determine the Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists (to be announced March 31) for this year’s Hobey Baker Award.

The Hobey Baker Award announcement will come on Friday, April 9 at 7pm from Detroit, Mich., the site of this year’s NCAA Frozen Four Championship. The announcement will be televised live on ESPNU.