March 28, 2007
St. Paul, Minn. – Notre Dame senior goaltender David Brown (Stoney Creek, Ont.) has been selected as one of three finalists for the coveted Hobey Baker Memorial Award that goes to college hockey’s top player. Joining Brown in the Hobey Hat Trick are North Dakota sophomore forward Ryan Duncan and Air Force junior forward Eric Ehn. The winner of the award will be announced on Friday, April 6 at 6:00 p.m. (CST) on ESPNU from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., during the Frozen Four weekend.
Brown, the CCHA player of the year and most valuable player of the CCHA tournament, finished his season last week in the Midwest Regionals in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a 30-6-3 overall record to go with a 1.58 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage and six shutouts. He leads the nation in wins (30), goals-against average (1.58), is tied for second in save percentage (.931) and shutouts with six. He helped lead Notre Dame to its first-ever CCHA regular season and CCHA playoff championship this season and the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament win on March 23, when the Irish defeated Alabama-Huntsville, 3-2, in double overtime (95:12), the longest game in Notre Dame history.
A 2004 draft choice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brown will leave Notre Dame as the school’s all-time leader in goals against (2.32), save percentage (.916) and shutouts (12) while finishing second in wins with 55.
A management consulting major, Brown will graduate from the Mendoza College of Business in May. He has been involved in the team’s community service work as he has participated in the annual Buddy Walk for kids with Downs Syndrome, the annual Christmas Party and has worked with a local kindergarten and their Learn to Read program on Tuesday’s throughout the season.
Ryan Duncan helped lead North Dakota to the NCAA Frozen Four as he is fourth in the nation in scoring with 31 goals and 26 assists for 57 points. His 17 power-play goals rank him second nationally. A native of Calgary, Alb., Duncan was the WCHA player of the year this season as he led the conference in goals, points, power-play goals and game-winning goals. Undecided on a major, Duncan was a WCHA all-academic student-athlete this season.
Eric Ehn (pronounced EEN) helped lead the Air Force Academy to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance by scoring 24 goals with 40 assists for 64 points to finish second in the nation in scoring for the 2006-07 campaign. He is the first player from a military academy to be a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Ehn led the Atlantic Hockey Association in points, goals and assists this season, setting an AHA record for points in a season. A native of Dexter, Michigan, Ehn was named the AHA player of the year for this season.
A systems engineering management major, Ehn was selected to Atlantic Hockey’s All-Academic team. He is the element leader for his squadron and has assisted with the Walk for a Cure for juvenile diabetes, has spoken and read to numerous school groups and helps dispense toys to hospitalized children during the team’s annual holiday toy drive.