Drury nets Hobey Baker; Alban takes runner-up

BOSTON - In one fell swoop, Jim Rich, the master of ceremonies for the 1998 Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient announcement, completely deflated any sense of surprise in the ceremony when describing the atmosphere at Faneuil Hall in Boston on Friday.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Boston College's Chris Drury won the Hobey Baker Award on Friday as the nation's top hockey player. Drury was last year's runner-up to Michigan's Brendan Morrison.

"It feels like a Little League World Series," Rich quipped.

To the average fan, that may not mean a thing. But to the dedicated supporters of the Boston University hockey team - or a Little League team from Trumbull, Conn. - it spoke volumes about Chris Drury, 1998's Hobey Baker Award winner.

The senior forward is also well known for his Little League exploits - when he was younger, his team won the Little League World Series. Drury is the Terriers' all-time leading scorer, with 116 points in his career.

In addition, Drury was named the Hockey East player of the year for the second consecutive season, and was named the league's top defensive forward this year.

"When I first signed my letter of intent to attend BU, it really wasn't because of all the NHL players or the coaching staff or all the NCAA appearances," Drury said. "I thought it was the type of place I could go get a good education, have fun ... I couldn't think of anything else I could want from a school or a college hockey program."

The runner-up for this season's trophy was Michigan State goalie Chad Alban, who posted a 0.98 goals-against average on the season, in addition to a .951 save percentage.

Alban was also named the CCHA player of the year, with a 1.63 goals-against average in conference play, setting a new conference record.

Not only was Alban's defensive play impressive this year.

The senior from Kalamazoo also scored a goal during a game, the first ever by a collegiate goalie.

Nevertheless, Alban's biggest disappointment this season wasn't the fact that he didn't win the Hobey Baker, but that the Spartans didn't reach the NCAA semifinals.

"The most disappointing thing is that we aren't in Boston," Alban said.

"I'm really happy that some people thought I had a year deserving of the Hobey Baker Award, and I think that is a reflection on our team and the successful season we had.

"Knowing the talented players in college hockey today, I'm honored to be the runner-up."

04-06-98