Hobey ‘Hat Trick’ Finalists Named

The nation’s two leading scorers and its top statistical goaltender make up the Hobey “Hat Trick,” the ultimate three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as announced Wednesday.

Colorado College linemates Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling and Cornell netminder David McKee are the three honorees.

The 2005 Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented Friday, April 8, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, during the Frozen Four.

McKee, a native of Irving, Texas, led the Big Red to the ECACHL regular-season and playoff titles this season. The ECACHL Player of the Year, Ken Dryden Award winner as the league’s best goalie, first-team All-ECACHL selection and ECACHL all-tournament goaltender, McKee leads the nation in goals-against average (1.24), save percentage (.947) and shutouts (10), all among the best single-season performances in college hockey history. McKee’s 27 victories are second in the nation, and his winning percentage (.813) ranks third.

Sertich and Sterling have led Colorado College to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 1997 after the Tigers shared the MacNaughton Cup as the WCHA’s regular-season champions.

Sertich, of Roseville, Minn., was the 2005 WCHA Player of the Year and led the conference in scoring. Sertich leads the nation in points (64) and points per game (1.52) while ranking second in both goals (27) and assists (37). He has had at least a point in 33 of the Tigers’ 42 games entering the Frozen Four.

Sterling, from Pasadena, Calif., was a first-team All-WCHA selection and was named the Most Valuable Player of the WCHA Final Five. He leads the nation in goals (34) and power-play goals (18) and ranks second in points (63) and points per game (1.50), trailing only Sertich. Sterling is a WCHA All-Academic honoree as well.

Ten original finalists for the Hobey Baker are determined by vote of the nation’s 58 Division I head coaches, along with online voting. The winner is determined by a 25-member selection committee and fan balloting.