Photos Courtesy Sun Devil Athletics and Quinnipiac University Athletics
Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey sophomores Collin Graf and Yaniv Perets are on the ballot for the 2023 Hobey Baker Award, the committee announced on Thursday afternoon. Both are former members of the NCDC Boston Junior Bruins.
Presented annually as men’s college ice hockey’s premier award, the Hobey Baker Committee begins its annual “Vote for Hobey” event with Phase I voting beginning January 19 and going through March 5.
Entering Thursday’s competition, Graf and Perets are among the nation’s elite and rank in the top three nationally in multiple statistical categories.
A Top Ten Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award a season ago, Perets is again among the country’s best goaltenders and was already named to the Richter Award Watch List, given to the best goalie in the collegiate ranks.
Perets leads all goalies with an .886 win percentage, is second in the country with four shutouts this season and third nationally with a 1.67 goals-against average.
Transferring from Union, Graf has made an immediate and substantial impact for the Bobcats, currently ranking second nationally in assists per game (1.00) and third in the country in points per game (1.50). Both marks lead the ECAC.
He’s also sixth nationally and second in the league with six power play goals to his name this season.
Arizona State’s Semptimphelter Also On Ballot
Sun Devil Hockey has two players nominated for the prestigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award, an annual award for the most valuable player in college hockey.
Senior forward Robert Mastrosimone and sophomore goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter, the latter a former Boston Junior Bruins NCDC goaltender, are two of the 82 NCAA student-athletes nominated for the award, announced on Thursday.
Semptimphelter has been the sole owner of the crease for Sun Devils this season. Semptimphelter racked up 785 saves in 25 starts and boasts a .920 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average so far this season. Semptimphelter is chasing after records set by former ASU goaltender and Hobey Baker award nominee Joey Daccord (also a USPHL alum). With Semptimphelter’s four shutouts this season, he now ranks second in single season shutouts in program history behind Daccord’s seven in 2018-19. In December against then-No. 1 Denver, Semptimphelter tied Daccord’s record for most saves in a single game at 53 saves.
In addition to his nomination for the Hobey Baker Award, Semptimphelter is also on the watch list for the Mike Richter Award. He is the second goaltender for the Sun Devils who has been both nominated for the Hobey Baker and the Mike Richter Award in the same season. Joey Daccord was also nominated for both awards in the 2018-19 season.
The Top 10 finalists will be announced on March 15 before Phase II voting commences on March 17. The Hobey Hat Trick is slated to be announced on March 17 with the winner coming on April 7.
