Scott Fusco Snags Hobey Baker Award

Harvard men's hockey Captain Scott Fusco was awarded the sixth annual Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's outstanding player Thursday at the Providence Civic Center.

Fusco joined his older brother Mark '83 on the short list of award winners. No pair of brothers had ever taken two Hobeys--or any other major collegiate sports award--before.

The Crimson center was selected from among a group of 10 finalists who were announced after a vote of all college coaches on March 7.

The award winner was selected from among the 10 by a secret selection committee of 13 chosen by the Decathalon Club of Minnesota, the organization that sponsors the annual presentation.

The 10 finalists, in addition to Fusco, were Michigan State forward Mike Donnelly, Western Michigan wing Dan Dorian, Northern Michigan center Gary Emmons, Boston College forward Scott Harlow, Minnesota-Duluth forward Brett Hull and defenseman Norm Maciver, North Dakota defenseman Scott Sandelin and Providence goalie Chris Terreri.

Fusco became Harvard's all-time leading scorer this season and now has 107 goals and 133 assists for 240 points and a 1.97 points-per-game average. This season, Fusco has accumulated 24-44--68 for a 2.27 p.p.g. average.

Runner-Up

Last year, Fusco placed second in scoring in the NCAA with a 2.53 p.p.g. average and was one of two runners-up to UMD's Bill Watson in the Hobey Baker voting.

"I'm obviously pretty happy to win the award," Fusco said. "I'm kind of surprised. There are a lot of great players among the 10 finalists, and they've all had good seasons and could have won the award. I really wasn't that confident coming in that I was going to win it. I think I played well during the year."

Fusco faced UMD's Watson last year when Harvard dropped twin 4-2 contests to Duluth in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

This year, Fusco played against two Hobey finalists--B.C.'s Harlow and Western Michigan's Dorian.

Fusco scored two goals in Harvard's 4-2 loss to the Eagles in February and recorded three goals and four assists in the Crimson's 4-2 and 7-2 NCAA quarterfinal victories over the Broncos two weeks ago.

In his four years at Harvard, Fusco led his team to four NCAA tournament appearances and was named ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year the past two years.

In 1984, Fusco took a year off from college to play on the United States Olympic Team, and this year he played on a U.S. Select team of the nation's best college players over the Christmas Break.

"The year I played on the Olympic team was probably the biggest factor in my improvement," Fusco said. "I went from a player who had some offensive skills to a much more complete player. It helped in terms of maturity and leadership."

For most teams, Fusco is a marked man. Teams try to stop him anyway they can.

"I think that's another tribute to Scott and his ability," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said. "Every night he goes out on the ice, he is the focus of the other team. And he's taken a lot of punishment."

But the punishment has been worth it. And now Fusco can put his trophy of Hobey Baker--a Princeton player in the early 1900s--along with his brother's in the family trophy case.

Past NCAA Championships Year  Champion  Coach  Score  Runne r-up 1948  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  8-4  Dartmouth 1949  Boston College  John Kelley  4-3  Dartmouth 1950  Colorado College  Cheddy Thompson  13-4  Boston U. 1951  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  7-1  Brown 1952  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  4-1  Colorado College 1953  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  7-3  Minnesota 1954  Rensselaer  Ned Harkness  5-4*  Minnesota 1955  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  5-3*  Colorado College 1956  Michigan  Vic Heyliger  7-5  Michigan Tech 1957  Colorado College  Thomas Bedecki  13-6  Michigan 1958  Denver  Murray Armstrong  6-2  North Dakota 1959  North Dakota  Bob May  4-3  Michigan State 1960  Denver  Murray Armstrong  5-3  Michigan Tech 1961  Denver  Murray Armstrong  12-2  St. Lawrence 1962  Michigan Tech  John MacInnes  7-1  Clarkson 1963  North Dakota  Barney Thorndycraft  6-5  Denver 1964  Michigan  Allen Renfrew  6-3  Denver 1965  Michigan Tech  John MacInnes  8-2  Boston College 1966  Michigan State  Amo Bessone  6-1  Clarkson 1967  Cornell  Ned Harkness  4-1  Boston U. 1968  Denver  Murray Armstrong  4-0  North Dakota 1969  Denver  Murray Armstrong  4-3  Cornell 1970  Cornell  Ned Harkness  6-4  Clarkson 1971  Boston U.  Jack Kelley  4-2  Minnesota 1972  Boston U.  Jack Kelley  4-0  Cornell 1973  Wisconsin  Bob Johnson  4-2  Vacated 1974  Minnesota  Herb Brooks  4-2  Michigan Tech 1975  Michigan Tech  John MacInnes  6-1  Minnesota 1976  Minnesota  Herb Brooks  6-4  Michigan Tech 1977  Wisconsin  Bob Johnson  6-5*  Michigan 1978  Boston U.  Jack Parker  5-3  Boston College 1979  Minnesota  Herb Brooks  4-3  North Dakota 1980  North Dakota  John Gasparini  5-2  Northern Mich. 1981  Wisconsin  Bob Johnson  6-3  Minnesota 1982  North Dakota  John Gasparini  5-2  Wisconsin 1983  Wisconsin  Jeff Sauer  6-2  Harvard 1984  Bowling Green  Jerry York  5-4*  Minn.-Duluth 1985  Rensselaer  Mike Addesa  2-1  Providence

*Overtime game

The 1986 NCAA All-Tourney Team Norm Foster  Goalie  Mich. St. Mark Benning  Defenseman  Harvard Don McSween  Defenseman  Mich. St. Allen Bourbeau  Forward  Harvard Mike Donnelly  Forward  Mich. St. Jeff Parker  Forward  Mich. St.