LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- The Hobey Baker Memorial Award announced the top 10 candidates for the 2016 award which honors college hockey’s top player. The 10 finalists were selected by voting from all 60 Division I college hockey head coaches and by online fan balloting. Next, the 27-member selection committee and an additional round of fan balloting through the Hobey Facebook page, will determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

Among the 10 finalists are Yale junior goaltender Alex Lyon and Harvard senior forward Jimmy Vesey.

Lyon, from Baudette, Minn., is coming off an All-American season a year ago when he led the nation in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts.  Lyon is having another banner season. Already named First Team All-Ivy League, Lyon is also a finalist for ECAC Goalie of the Year and Player of the Year.

Lyon currently has a record of 19-7-4 record which includes four shutouts. His goals against average of 1.59 is second best in the nation and his save percentage of .938 is tied for first.

Vesey, from North Reading, Mass., is the sole repeat candidate from last year’s Hobey class. A prolific scorer, he’s lead the nation in goals the past two seasons bagging 55 including 23 this season. A two-time Ivy League Player of the Year, Vesey is also a finalist for ECAC Player of the Year, an honor he earned last season.

This season Vesey has scored 23 goals and assisted on 21 others for 44 points in 30 games.

Vesey and the rest of Harvard men's hockey team, and defending Whitelaw Cup champions, are making their second-straight trip to Lake Placid, N.Y. this weekend, to play in the ECAC Hockey Men’s Championship Tournament. The Crimson qualified for the semifinals after sweeping Rensselaer in the quarterfinals.

Harvard (18-9-4, 14-6-4), the three-seed, faces fourth-seed St. Lawrence (19-13-4, 13-8-3) in Friday night’s second semifinal game, at 7:36 p.m. The winner of this game faces either top-seeded Quinnipiac (27-3-7, 17-2-5) or seventh-seeded Dartmouth (18-15-1, 15-12-0), who square off in Friday’s first game, at 4:06 p.m., Saturday, at 7:36 p.m., for the ECAC Hockey post season crown. The post season champion also earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship tournament.

2015 ECAC Hockey Championship Photos, https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/albums/72157649136680704, Courtesy of ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.