The fifth-ranked Hobart College ice hockey team picked up its third straight win, knocking off New England College, which was receiving votes in this week’s USCHO.com poll, 2-1 in a New England Hockey Conference contest at The Cooler this afternoon. With the victory, the Statesmen are now 11-2-1 this season with a 7-0-1 mark in conference play.
Five different players recorded a point for Hobart led by Zach Tyson and Blake Coffey, who scored the Hobart goals. Liam Lascelle started in goal and made 20 saves.
Trevor Momot scored the goal for New England College (7-1-4, 2-4-1). Spencer Kozlowski played just over 59 minutes in goal and made a career-high 43 saves.
Hobart controlled the game from the opening whistle, finishing the contest with a 45-21 edge in shots on goal. The Statesmen amassed 21 of those in the first period. Coffey opened the scoring at the 3:19 mark of the first period. He snapped a shot from the low slot past Kozlowski. His fourth goal of the season was assisted by Jonah Alexander and Luke Aquaro. Aquaro started the play in the neutral zone, intercepting a NEC clearing attempt and slipping a pass to Alexander. Alexander broke down the left wing, drew Kozlowski off his line and sent the puck to Coffey who knocked the puck into the empty cage. Two minutes later, Jake Gresh nearly doubled the lead. He had a flurry of chances from the right faceoff circle. Gresh had one shot stopped by Kozlowski, one shot hit the goal post and a third that just missed the net.
The Pilgrims tied the game at the 9:40 mark of the first period. Trevor Momot redirected a shot past Lascelle for his seventh goal of the season. Connor Lefkof and David Novotny were awarded assists on the power-play goal. With the teams playing 4-on-3, Lefkof blasted a shot from the point off of Mormot’s stick and into the net.
Hobart swung momentum back in its favor in the second period. The Statesmen held New England College without a shot on goal in the first 13 minutes of the middle period. That stretch included three Pilgrim power plays. Tyson scored the game-winning goal at the 6:55 mark. His fifth goal of the season was assisted by Aaron Maguyon. Maguyon broke up a pass along his own blue line and turned defense into offense quickly. He carried the puck down the right side of the ice and drew the New England College defender to him. With the defenseman off his line, Maguyon snapped a cross-ice pass to Tyson who one-timed the shot past Kozlowski.
New England College nearly tied the game 45 seconds into the final period. With the Pilgrims on the power play, CJ Valerian fired a shot from the point off of the right goal post. At the 3:29 mark of the third period, Connor Dunn had a shot from the slot stopped by Lascelle.
Cooper Swift nearly put the game out of reach for Hobart at the 6:33 mark of the third period, but his shot from the left faceoff circle dented the left goal post. Matthew Iasenza nearly added a late goal, but his shot came just a hair too late as the buzzer sounded to end the game just before the puck crossed the goal line.
New England College finished the game 1-for7 on the power play and the Statesmen were 0-for-4 with the extra attacker.
Hobart is scheduled to return to action on Friday, Jan. 14 when it takes on No. 6 Babson. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Cooler.
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