NU's Brian Wilson nominated for Hobey Baker Award

Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson of the Niagara University men’s hockey team has been nominated for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Fans support the #Hob3yBak3r effort by voting on Facebook once per day for the Purple Eagles’ representative. Fan voting is open until March 9, when the initial pool of nominees will be narrowed to 10. Phase two of fan balloting will begin March 18 and close March 29. The 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on Friday, April 10, during the NCAA Frozen Four Championship in Detroit. The award ceremony will be broadcast nationally on NHL Network and streamed live at hobeybaker.com.

• View the full list of Hobey Baker Award nominees

Wilson has posted some impressive numbers in his third season at Niagara. A native of Pickering, Ontario, he currently ranks second among Atlantic Hockey goalies in terms of save percentage (.924). He also ranks sixth in the conference with a 2.44 goals-against average.

The netminder also has two shutouts in 13 games played this season, one of which was a 70-minute effort that ended when Niagara defeated AIC in a shootout on the road. Wilson thwarted all three shooters faced for the program’s first-ever triumph in a shootout. A recent seven game stretch saw Wilson allow just 10 goals, including two to eighth-ranked Penn State. Between Nov. 22 and Jan. 4, Wilson owned the nation’s highest save percentage (.960) and the fifth-best GAA (1.25).

Outside of competition, Wilson also works with youth goalies in the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles organization in his spare time.

The Purple Eagles (4-12-4, 4-6-4-2 AHA) are on the road this weekend with two games at Air Force. The team will return home to Dwyer Arena next weekend for a series against Army West Point on Jan. 24-25. Saturday's game will feature a postgame open skate session with the players and staff of the Niagara men's hockey team. Fans interested in attending can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or contact the Niagara University ticket office at 716-286-TIXX (8499).