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Newell and Schuldt named Hobey Baker Award Top 10 Finalists
3/20/2019 9:45:00 AM | Men's Hockey
The award is presented annually to the top college hockey player in the nation and this marks the first time that two St Cloud State University athletes have been selected as top 10 finalists in the same year.This marks the second consecutive season that Schuldt has been selected as a Hobey Baker Award top 10 finalist, while Newell is a top 10 finalist for the award for the first time in his collegiate career.
The other Hobey Baker top 10 finalists are: Joe Duszak, Mercyhurst; Adam Fox, Harvard; Taro Hirose, Michigan State; Quinn Hughes, Michigan; Mason Jobst, Ohio State; Cale Makar, Massachusetts; Chase Priskie, Quinnipiac and Nico Sturm, Clarkson.
The pair are the eighth and ninth Hobey Baker top 10 finalists in the history of the hockey program at SCSU. Drew LeBlanc won the Hobey Baker Award for the Huskies in 2013, while Mark Hartigan (2002) and Nic Dowd (2014) were Hobey Baker Hat Trick top three finalists during their SCSU careers. Bobby Goepfert (2007), Ryan Lasch (2008), Ethan Prow (2016) and Schuldt (2018) all earned Hobey Baker top 10 finalist honors with the Huskies.
The NCHC scoring champion for 2018-19, Newell is the Huskies' leading scorer this winter with 19 goals and 43 points in 36 games played. He currently owns a +32 ranking with six game winners and four power play goals this season. Newell has posted 13 multi-point games for the Huskies this season and was named the NCHC Player of the Month for February 2019. A two-time NCHC Player of the Week selection in 2018-19, Newell has named to this year's All-NCHC First Team and also earned All-NCHC Academic team honors for the fourth time in 2018-19.
In four seasons with the Huskies, Newell has scored 36 goals, 80 assists and 116 points. He currently ranks 21st in the team records for career points scored and 10th for career assists in 142 career games played.
Schuldt is the SCSU's first-ever three-year team captain. He has played in 153 consecutive games and has never missed a game during his entire collegiate career. A first team All-America award winner in 2018, Schuldt earned All-NCHC First Team honors in 2018 and 2019 for the Huskies.Â
In 2018-19, Schuldt has scored 10 goals, 23 assists and 33 points in 36 games for the #1 ranked Huskies. He leads SCSU's blueliners with 69 blocked shots and ranks first among NCHC defensemen with a scoring rate of .96 ppg (33 points). A three-time NCHC Defensive Player of the Week in 2018-19, Schuldt has scored four power play goals and two game winners for SCSU in 2018-19.
In his career, Schuldt currently owns the Huskies' records for most career points as a defenseman with 116, most career goals as a defenseman with 38 and most career power play goals by a defenseman with 19.  In four seasons at SCSU, Schuldt has scored 38 goals, 78 assists and 116 points. In addition, Schuldt has been named as a top 10 finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and a semifinalist for the Sullivan Award in 2019.
Newell and Schuldt have been driving forces behind the Huskies' success in 2018-19. SCSU currently owns a 29-4-3 overall record and helped their team win the 2018-19 NCHC regular season championship with a 19-2-3 league record. The Huskies will bring a 12-game unbeaten streak into the upcoming NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament on Mar. 22-23 in St. Paul. SCSU ranks second in the nation this season with a scoring rate of 4.11 goals per game and the Huskies are 11th on the defense at 2.17 goals allowed per game. On the penalty kill, SCSU ranks fifth in the nation this week at 87.1% and 7th on the power play at 24.3%.
Fans will now have an opportunity to Vote for Hobey and the top 10 finalists at www.hobeybaker.com/vote
The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 60 Division I college hockey head coaches plus online fan balloting. Next, the 29-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting through the Hobey website hobeybaker.com from March 21-31 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.Â
The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 4, 2019 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 12, 2019 from Buffalo, NY during the NCAA Frozen Four. The award announcement will take place at HarborCenter. The announcement will be televised live on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 6:00 p.m. ET.Â
