Thousands of players have skated in the ECAC Championships since the tournaments' inception 26 years ago. But none of them has ever scored as many points in the tournament as Lane MacDonald.

Adam's Ribbings

MacDonald's five goals and 10 assists earned him the tournament MVP award Saturday night, and indicated that the junior left wing is reaching his peak scoring efficiency at the perfect time-during the playoff. MacDonald has now scored at least three points in five of the Crimson's last six contests, and has tallied at least two points on 10 of the last 13.

MacDonald's playoff spurt should not surprise anyone who has followed the Crimson this year. When Harvard has needed a point to pull ahead in a tight contest or a short-handed goal to break the back of the opposition, MacDonald has come through for the team more often than any other player.

Now, with the most important games of the season approaching, MacDonald is asserting himself as one of the finest collegiate hockey players in the nation.

Last week MacDonald was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, hockey's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. And although MacDonald's statistics are among the best in the country, he is unlikely to win the award. Sophomore Tony Hrkac of North Dakota, who has scored over 100 points this season, is considered the favorite.

But the praises for MacDonald keep pouring in anyway. "There are so many ways he can beat you," St. Lawrence Coach Joe Marsh said. "I hope the people who are voting [for the Hobey] took a look at tonight's game. He's a quality player."

MacDonald's own coach agrees.

"I tell you, there are a lot of wonderful players in the country," Crimson Coach Bill Cleary said, "but I don't know if there are too many better than Lane MacDonald."

"He's not just an offensive player, he's a complete hockey player," Cleary continued, listing penalty killing and back checking as areas in which the Wisconsin native excels.

Not only has MacDonald perfected his skating and scoring skills, but he seems to have assumed a leadership role on the team as well.

One example of this came in the second Brown game last week when MacDonald skated across the ice to break up a shoving match between freshman Tod Hartje and a Bruin player. He acted similarly on another occasion this weekend at the Garden.

"Lane's a great team player," said Lowell MacDonald, a three-time NHL All-Star who happens to be Lane's father. "At no time have I ever seen him be selfish, not when I coached him, nor when I've watched him. That to me is more important than what he accomplishes individually."

Statistically, that lack of selfishness has taken the form of 29 assists in 30 games for MacDonald-the third highest total on the team.

It seems that every year in post-season action, skaters who have not received as much publicity as their team's stars suddenly burst on the scene after playing the best games of their careers.

C.J. Young was the surprise of this season's ECAC playoffs, as he scored his first career hat trick on Friday.

And last March, Andy Janfaza scored half of his season's four goals in the year's most important games, the NCAA semis and finals.

It remains to be seen who will be the surprise hero of Harvard's trek through the NCAAs this season. But regardless of who accumulates the flashiest statistics over the next two weeks, Lane MacDonald most likely will remain the team's Most Valuable Player.