The fifth-ranked Hobart College hockey team was edged by sixth-ranked Babson 5-3 in a New England Hockey Conference contest at The Cooler Sunday afternoon. The Statesmen are now 11-3-1 overall this season and 7-1-1 in conference play.
Three different players scored a goal in the loss for the Statesmen. Joe Halstrom started in goal and made 11 saves in just over 27 minutes of work. Liam Lascelle played the final 31 minutes in goal and made 15 saves.
Paul Boutoussov (1 g, 2a) and Matt Wiesner (1g, 2a) led the way for Babson (9-2-2, 5-2-2) with three points each. Mike Egan (2a), Wyatt George (1g, 1a) and James Perullo (1g, 1a) also had multi-point games. Brad Arvanitis started in goal and made 36 saves as he earned the victory.
Gagik Malakyan nearly opened the scoring at the 2:05 mark of the first period. He broke down the right wing, skated past a defender and fired a backhanded shot on goal that was turned aside by Arvanitis. Just over a minute later, Blake Coffey had a shot turned aside by Arvanitis.
The Beavers opened the scoring at the 8:56 mark of the first period. Matt Wiesner redirected a shot from the point past Halstrom for his seventh goal of the season. Perullo and Boutoussov were credited with assists on the power-play goal. Two minutes later, Jonah Alexander tied the game with his fifth goal of the season. He picked up a loose puck in the slot and flipped a shot through Arvanitis’ legs. Luke Aquaro notched an assist on the goal. Jake Gresh nearly gave Hobart a 2-1 lead, but his shot from the right faceoff circle hit the left goal post. At the opposite end of the rink, Ryan Black picked up his own rebound and wristed a shot past Halstrom. His 10th goal of the season was assisted by Wiesner and Egan.
Hobart tied the game at the 1:54 mark of the second period. Chase Bell wristed a shot from the left faceoff circle into the upper right corner of the goal for his third goal of the season. Matthew Iasenza was credited with an assist on the goal. Three minutes later, Perullo gave Babson a 3-2 lead. He fired a shot from the point through traffic and into the back of the net. Egan and Thomas Kramer were credited with assists on Perullo’s first goal of the season. At the 7:24 mark of the third period, Hobart tied the game 3-3 on Artem Buzoverya’s third goal of the season. Off of a faceoff, he redirected a Blake Coffey shot from the point into the back of the net.
Wyatt George scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal at the 10:52 mark of the second period. On an odd-man rush, he wristed a shot from the slot past Lascelle. Boutoussov and John Corrigan were awarded assists on the tally. The Beavers put the game out of reach with a power-play goal four minutes later. Boutoussov poked home a rebound from directly in front of the cage. Wiesner and George were credited with assists on the goal.
Neither team scored a goal in the third period. Hobart finished the frame with a slight 11-10 edge in shots on goal. With two minutes remaining and the Statesmen on a power-play, Hobart pulled Lascelle in favor of the extra attacker. Off the first faceoff, Max Torrez fired a clearing pass from his own goal line off of the right goal post. In the final minute, Hobart had a flurry of chances, but Arvanitis was up to the task, stopping shots from Coffey and Reid Lindsay.
A tightly contested game, Hobart finished with a slight 39-31 edge in shots on goal. The Beavers were 2-for-2 on the power play, and the Statesmen were 0-for-3 with the extra attacker.
Hobart is scheduled to return to action Monday, when it takes on Potsdam. The Statesmen and Bears will play in Pulaski at the Haldane Memorial Arena.
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