The pressure is squarely on Queen’s Golden Gaels hockey coach Brett Gibson.

If he keeps recruiting Clare Drake Award winners, people are going to start expecting him to find one every year.

For the second season in a row, the Gaels have the nation’s top hockey-playing freshman. At a ceremony on the eve of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament in Halifax Wednesday night, Queen’s defenceman Spencer Abraham was named this year's winner of the Drake award.

He follows in the footsteps of goaltender Kevin Bailie, who won the award last year.

They are the only two Queen’s players in the 30-year history of the award ever to win it.

“Spencer came in from day one and showed maturity beyond his years,” Gibson said. “He played in all situations, against the other team’s top players every night, and it still did not slow down his offensive production. His future in this game and league are very bright.”

Abraham, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday next week, came to Queen’s after a four-year Ontario Hockey League career. His 28 points made him his team’s leading scorer, and tied for the most points by a defenceman in Canada this year.

New Brunswick defenceman Randy Gazzola and Alberta forward Stephane Legault were the other finalists for the award.

Abraham, of course, was named to the national all-rookie team, where he was joined by Gaels teammate Darcy Greenaway, who led the nation in goals scored by a freshman, with 16. Queen’s is the only school to place two men on the all-rookie team.