Finalists Named for League’s Best Defensive Forward Award

ALBANY, N.Y. -- ECAC Hockey today announced the finalists for the 2013-14 Men’s Best Defensive Forward Award as Daniel Carr, Union, Kellen Jones, Quinnipiac, Jesse Root, Yale and Ben Sexton, Clarkson have each been nominated as finalists for the honor by the league’s coaches.

Carr has recorded four straight seasons of 30 or more points, ranking as the all-time leading scorer in Union’s Division I history with 143 points (73g-70a). Union’s all-time leader in power-play goals (33) and is second in game-winning goals (11), Carr ranks fifth in career scoring (143 points) among active NCAA players. He also finished  in the top 10 in four league offensive categories (for conference games):  first in plus/minus (+19), second in goals (13), third in scoring (26 points) and eighth in assists (13). He is currently averaging 0.68 blocks per game and is a vital part of the of the Dutchmen penalty-kill unit which finished fourth in conference action with a 84.3 success rate.

Jones finished the season with career-highs in goals (18) assists (21) and points (39 and finished with the third-most points (39) among all ECAC Hockey players. He led NCAA Division I hockey with four shorthanded goals and is one of five players nationally with at least 18 goals and 21 assists. Jones also recorded with 13 multiple-point games which led the Bobcats, while also ranking second in ECAC Hockey. The Edmonton Oilers draft pick averaged 0.83 blocks per game and was a catalyst on the league’s best penalty-kill unit which stopped 95 of 103 situations when faced with a man-down.

Bulldogs senior captain Jesse Root currently leads the team in scoring on 14 goals and 20 assists on the season. He ranks fourth in face-offs won (343) and sits eighth among all league players in faceoffs percentage won (.566). He had been a clutch goal scorer for the Blue this season registering four game-winning goals and recording two shorthanded goals. He currently ranks third among all ECAC Hockey players averaging 1.21 points per games played. His plus/minus rating of +18 is tied among league players in overall games.

Rounding out the group of talented finalists is Clarkson’s captain, Ben Sexton who led Golden Knights to their best season in six years. He was one of the top centers in the league at the faceoff circle, winning over 57% of his draws (195-145) in the conference. Sexton is Clarkson’s second-leading scorer overall with 26 points, including four goals and nine assists in the league. He currently has 25 blocked shots on the season.