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BOSTON – Zach Aston-Reese and Dylan Sikura, two of the highest scorers in the nation this season, have been named as candidates for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.
 
Fans will have the opportunity to let their voices be heard during the Hobey Baker fan vote, which opened on Monday and runs through March 5. To cast your vote for Aston-Reese or Sikura, please click here.
 
Overall, both student-athletes are tied for fifth in the nation in scoring with 41 points, with Aston-Reese logging 22 goals, 19 assists and Sikura with 16 goals and 25 assists. Over the last five seasons, only 12 Division I players have reached 40 points in their first 25 games. Earlier this season, both players also enjoyed the longest point streak of their careers, with Aston-Reese recording points in 11 straight games (16 goals, 11 assists) and Sikura at nine games (eight goals, 10 assists).
 
Aston-Reese is tied for or owns the outright national lead in the following categories: goals (22), goals per game (0.88), power play goals (11), shorthanded goals (three) and hat tricks (two). He is also the only player since 2012-13 to score 21 goals in his first 21 games.
 
Overall, the Staten Island, N.Y. native has 126 points (57 goals, 69 assists) in 132 career games, which ranks sixth in career scoring among active skaters nationally. He also became the 48th player in team history to reach 100 points earlier this season, and is currently 25th in career scoring at Northeastern. On Jan. 21, Zach Aston-Reese reached the 40-point plateau for the second straight season. Since the 1956-57 season, only 17 Huskies have scored at least 40 points in consecutive seasons. His performance this season has also given the Huskies a 40-point scorer in four straight seasons for the first time since 1991-92. Should he log another assist, it would mark the 32nd time in program history that a Husky has scored 20 goals and record 20 assists in a season.
 
Aston-Reese 22 goals are already the most for a Husky since Wade MacLeod in 2010-11, while his 11 power play goals are the most for a Husky since J.F. Aube scored 13 in 1994-94. The school record for power play goals in a season is 14, held by Rod Isbister in 1984-85. He is also one shorthanded marker away from tying the school record of four shorthanded goals in a season, held by Bryan Esner (2006-07) and Randy Bucyk (1982-83).
 
Sikura is tied for fourth in the nation with 25 assists in his first 25 games, and fifth overall in scoring with 38 points. The Aurora, Ontario native has at least one point in 21 of the team's 25 games this season. His 16 goals and 41 points in just 25 games are already more than his total from all of last season (36 games). 
 
On Friday at UMass Lowell, he scored three goals in the final 7:19 of regulation to lead the Huskies to a come-from-behind win, becoming the first Husky since Cody Ferriero on Dec. 29, 2012 at Harvard to score three goals in a period. The only other time it's happened since in the last 12 years was on Nov. 4, 2005 (Ryan Ginand vs. New Hampshire).
 
Sikura's third period performance was also the first natural hat trick for a Husky since Kevin Roy against Connecticut on Feb. 13, 2015. It's the fourth time that's happened since 2012 (Cody Ferriero, twice; Jan. 27, 2012 at Vermont and Dec. 29, 2012 at Harvard).
 
Three players have been named finalists for the Hobey Baker in Northeastern hockey history, most recently Brad Thiessen in 2009. Jim Fahey (2002) and Sandy Beadle (1981) have also reached the final three.
 
Massachusetts teams, and specifically Beanpot schools, has been home to the Hobey Baker winner in each of the last three seasons, including Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) in 2016, Jack Eichel (Boston University) in 2015 and Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) in 2014.
 
About the Hobey Baker Award
Teamwork. Dedication. Integrity. Exceptional play. Humility. And, above all, character. These are the values that set the game of hockey, and those who play it, apart from any other. They are also the values that the Hobey Baker Award honors each year. Winners are chosen not for raw skill or stats or character alone, though those are important. They are selected for everything they do.
 
Candidates must:
    •     Exhibit strength and character, both on and off the ice
    •     Contribute to the integrity of the team
    •     Display outstanding skills in all phases of the game
    •     Show scholastic achievement and sportsmanship
 
Candidates must also comply with all NCAA rules, be full-time students in an accredited NCAA college or university, and complete 50% or more of the season.
 
The Hobey Baker Award was named for hockey legend and World War I veteran Hobey Baker. Universally recognized as the best amateur player in the United States, Baker was the ultimate gentleman sportsman, always playing the game with courage, honor, and humility.
 
Nominating and selection criteria
The selection process for the award is in three parts. First, the head coaches of NCAA Division I schools nominate the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation. College hockey fans can also vote online at this time—and fan voting can be an important factor in the balloting outcome. Price Waterhouse Coopers tabulates the votes and the top 10 candidates are announced.
 
Voting then commences for the "Hobey Hat Trick," which is a narrowing of the field from ten players to three, from which the winner is selected. The primary voting in this part of the process is by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee, a geographically balanced group of 27 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts. Fans may also vote online for their favorite candidate during this phase of the process.
 
After the three finalists for the award are announced ("Hobey Hat Trick"), the countdown begins toward the announcement of the award winner in a nationally televised ceremony.