January 28, 2019

Chadds Ford has certainly never been deemed a hotbed for ice hockey, but that never deterred a 2014 Unionville High graduate.

Ryan Lohin, 22, of Pennsbury Township, a seventh-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016, is currently the leading scorer for the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, a school that recruited him in high school but deferred his acceptance so that he could excel with the Madison Capitols and Waterloo Black Hawks, two junior league teams.

Now, the UMass Lowell junior is a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, the ice hockey equivalent of football’s Heisman trophy. Named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, a World War I fighter pilot and standout hockey and football player at Princeton, the award is given annually to a player who exhibits strength and character, both on and off the ice. In addition, the player must contribute to the integrity of the team, display outstanding skills in all phases of the game, and show scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.

Honored to be nominated, Lohin, team captain as a junior, amassed 21 points in 20 games with nine goals and 12 assists this season. In his college career, he logged 30 goals in 95 games, with 45 assists and 75 total points.

No slouch academically, Lohin always makes the Dean’s List and currently has a 3.85 GPA. He will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in finance and management and has been accepted into the UMass Lowell master’s program in finance.

“Unionville High School prepared me well for college and helped me grow into a better student and better person,” he said.

Lohin said that Tampa Bay, which has a four-year option to sign him, has kept in touch and likes the way he has progressed.

“Tampa is an amazing organization, and I have had the privilege of going down and training for a week there the past few summers,” Lohin said. “Ultimately, I hope to one day play in the NHL, but for now, I have unfinished business here at Lowell.”

Lohin, who grew up in Chadds Ford Knoll, said education remains a priority since a professional sports career is time-limited. “My parents have always preached the importance of education ever since Hillendale Elementary School,” he said.

Lohin’s master’s program typically takes two years; however, he’s already jump started it and hopes to finish it in one. And because his undergraduate degree only took three years, he has another year of eligibility for the ice hockey team. In an ideal world, he would receive his master’s degree in time to join the NHL, he said.

The six-foot, 195-pound left-shooting forward has been skating since kindergarten. His inspiration did not come from his family, which had a baseball background: Lohin’s grandfather, Larry File, played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lohin said he was just drawn to skating and benefitted from the support he received from his parents, Margie and Dave Lohin. With their encouragement, he devoted about five hours a day to practice and fueled a passion that continues to this day.

The Hobey Baker hopefuls were nominated by Division 1 men’s hockey coaches and then submitted to the public to narrow the field. Votes can be cast on the Hobey Baker Award website: https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote. The 81 contenders are in alphabetical order, and fans can vote once a day until March 10 at midnight, when the first round ends.

Phase two of fan balloting will begin March 20 with 10 finalists and close on March 31. The 2019 Hobey Baker winner will be announced on Friday, April 12.