Last spring Jesse Hubbard was able to celebrate a national championship with the Princeton Tigers. Today the 23-year-old is in the winner’s circle as the National Lacrosse League’s Rookie of the Year. Voting for the award was done by the team General Managers and Head Coaches.

Despite playing two less games, Hubbard finished just one point behind the NLL’s rookie scoring leader with his 14 goals and 15 assists for the Baltimore Thunder. Eleven of the Washington, D.C. native’s goals came on the power play, a figure that was tied for second in the league. Hubbard had a .400 shooting percentage as his goals came on just 35 shots on goal. The 6’1", 195-pounder picked up 37 loose balls. He was the Thunder’s second round pick (13th overall) in the September 1998 NLL Draft.

Hubbard’s teammate Chris Sanderson and Matt Disher of the Buffalo Bandits, both goaltenders, finished tied for second in the voting.

It’s deja vú this weekend as Hubbard and the Thunder battle Casey Powell and the Rochester Knighthawks in a semi-final playoff game. Powell was the NLL’s rookie scoring leader in 1999 after having faced Hubbard and Princeton so many times during his career at Syracuse University, prior to his graduation last spring.