Porter, not Gerbe, wins Hobey Baker

DENVER - Boston College junior forward Nathan Gerbe had a hat trick and an assist in Thursday night's 6-1 victory over North Dakota in the national semifinals and was a finalist in the Hobey Baker Award balloting, but Michigan senior forward Kevin Porter, who was the CCHA Player of the Year, took home the award yesterday for the top college player.

"It's a dream come true and I've had an amazing four years," Porter said. He had a minor slip at the end when he closed with, "lastly, thank you and good luck to BC and North Dakota in [tonight's] game." He caught himself and said, "Notre Dame, sorry."

Miami University senior captain Ryan Jones was the third finalist. Jones, who played in the NCAA Northeast Regional with noticeably long hair, had it all cut off to donate it to make a wig for a 13-year-old girl who is a cancer patient. Gerbe said it would've been nice to win it, but he wasn't thinking about it at all.

"The team has done a great job of not mentioning it," he said. "The team goal is to win a national championship and that's the one thing we're focused on. Our one goal in mind is to win everything and that's been our goal from Day 1."

Bruce top humanitarian

He wasn't the fastest player or the highest scorer on the Williams College team, but senior forward Will Bruce will leave an impressive legacy when he moves into the next phase of his life.

Bruce was named the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award winner, presented to the college hockey player - male or female - who makes a significant contribution to communities.

Bruce, active in the Williams community and his hometown of Nashville, has a dual major in history and economics with a 3.81 grade-point average. He earned a two-year fellowship at the University of Oxford in England where he will study philosophy of comparative social policy.

"It's a great honor to receive this award but to me it recognizes more than an individual," he said. "This award recognizes the importance of teamwork. I've never had a teammate or another Williams team turn down a request to participate in a community service project. The Hockey Humanitarian Award reflects the contribution that sports in general, and athletes in particular, can have in the community, making a positive impact in the lives of others."

In 25 games this season, Bruce had five goals, four of them game-winners. In 97 career contests at Williams, he had 14 goals and 17 assists.

Two of the eight finalists were from Williams. The other was senior Caralyn Quan, a forward on the Williams women's team.

Frozen Four family

The Orpik family of East Amherst, N.Y., has sent two sons to play hockey at BC, and they have known nothing but Frozen Fours.

Brooks Orpik, now playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, reached college hockey's ultimate weekend in each of his three years, before leaving to join the professional ranks. Andrew Orpik, now a junior, has been to three thus far.

"The last five years, we've gone to the Frozen Four as a family," said Andrew.

Andrew said he doesn't mind playing in the wake of his older, more famous brother.

"He's laid a good foundation for me, he's been a good example," said Andrew. "I don't look at it that I have to live up to what he's done, because I probably never will. He's a first-round draft pick and has been playing in the NHL for four or five years now. Whether or not that happens for me, who knows? But he set a good example for me and he tells me the right things to do. Even as an example, as opposed to something that's always a burden, it's a good thing."

Silent partner means business

According to Orpik, freshman goalie John Muse has the same calm demeanor in the locker room that he has shown on the ice this season. "He's not really a superstitious guy, but he keeps his mouth shut and just plays." said Orpik. "Goalies are always known to be a little weird anyway." . . . The same cannot be said for several other freshmen. "We're kind of a big group of idiots this year," said Orpik, trying to explain the special quality of this year's squad. "We're all goofing around with each other. It kind of starts with our freshmen, they've all blended in really well - Muse, [Nick] Petrecki, [Joe] Whitney, and [Brian] Gibbons, they've played unbelievable, but they've blended into the whole team thing. Whitney, Petrecki, and Gibbons - when they get together, it's all smiles and cracking jokes and taking shots at guys." . . . There's no grumbling about the quality of Massachusetts hockey players at BC, as there has been elsewhere. Coach Jerry York has nine Bay State players on his roster: Anthony Aiello from Braintree, Pat Gannon from Arlington, Benn Ferriero from Essex, Matt Lombardi from Milton, Matt Greene from Plymouth, Gibbons from Braintree, Whitney from Reading, Kyle Kucharski from Saugus, and Muse from East Falmouth. "It's starting to come back," York said of the Massachusetts talent. "I think it's a cyclical movement. Maybe there was a dip in our talent level [in Massachusetts], but we always try to recruit our backyard."