BUFFALO, N.Y. — The wins keep piling up for Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar at the Frozen Four.
Some 16 hours after celebrating a 4-3 overtime victory over Denver in the semifinals, Makar won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation’s top player Friday.
“In my wildest dreams? Probably,” the sophomore said of the season he and the Minutemen are enjoying. “But no. It’s definitely not something I thought could happen in two years.”
The one thing he wouldn’t mind getting was a little rest before UMass (31-9) prepares to play Minnesota Duluth (28-11-2) in the championship game Saturday night.
“Honestly, it’s been a little bit of a whirlwind,” Makar added. “I’m looking forward to just going to bed tonight and getting 11 hours of sleep.”
And his season might not be done after the championship game.
Selected with the fourth pick by Colorado in the 2017 draft, Makar didn’t rule out the possibility of making the jump to the NHL and joining the Avalanche as early as next week for their first-round playoff series against Calgary.
Makar beat out two other defenseman, Harvard’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State’s Jimmy Schuldt.
Makar has 49 points in 40 games and is two points from becoming the first defenseman to lead the nation in points.
The Mike Richter award for top goalie went to Northeastern sophomore Cayden Primeau. He finished 25-9-1 and ranked second in the nation with a .933 save percentage. He’s the son of former NHL forward Keith Primeau and signed an entry level contract with Montreal last month.
BASEBALL
TRINITY 8, COLBY 0: Johnny Stamatis hit a bases-clearing triple during a five-run seventh inning as the Bantams (17-4, 5-2 NESCAC) pulled away from the Mules (6-10, 0-4) in Hartford, Connecticut.
Trinity broke scoreless tie with two unearned runs in the sixth.
Matt Koperniak went 3 for 3 with an RBI and scored twice for Trinity. Starting pitcher Andrew DeRoche allowed just three hits while striking out eight and walking two in 7 1/3 innings.
Keenan Iuliano had a double and a single for Colby.
SOUTHERN MAINE CC 9, NHTI 0: Cole Lawrence allowed just two hits over eight innings, and Sean Adams and Derek Foss each hit a two-run single as the Seawolves (21-5, 2-0 YSCC) defeated the Lynx (4-18, 2-3) in South Portland.
Lawrence struck out four and walked two.
SOFTBALL
BOWDOIN 8, COLBY 1: Samantha Valdivia homered to start a seven-run fifth inning, and Samantha Roy struck out 13 as the Polar Bears (15-10, 3-4 NESCAC) beat the Mules (4-14, 0-4) in Waterville.
Caroline Rice hit a two-run single, Alison Rutz followed with an RBI double and Maddie Rouhana added a run-scoring single.
Roy allowed only two hits. Colby’s Holly Lallis scored on an error in the seventh inning.
NEW HAMPSHIRE TECH 11, SOUTHERN MAINE CC 5: Hannah Winship homered three teams, including a grand slam in the top of the sixth to break a 5-5 tie, as the Lynx (8-2, 5-0 YSCC) beat the Seawolves (6-6, 0-1) in the opening game of a doubleheader in South Portland.
Emily Lashua went 3 for 3 with three RBI for the Seawolves.
The second game was suspended with the score tied at 5-5 in the seventh inning and will resume before a scheduled doubleheader Saturday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
AUBURN: Coach Bruce Pearl agreed to a new five-year contract.
Pearl led the Tigers to their first Final Four and a Southeastern Conference tournament title this season, turning around a program that went 15 years without making the NCAA tournament.
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