Hobart College sophomore forward Luke Aquaro scored 1:49 into overtime to send the second-ranked Statesmen past Buffalo State, 4-3, in a non-conference contest at The Cooler on Friday evening. With the win, Hobart is 5-0-0 on the season. The Bengals are now 3-2-0.
Austin Mourar led the Statesmen with a goal and an assist in the victory. Mavrick Goyer went the distance in goal and made 13 saves. Nikita Kozyrev had two goals for the Bengals. Emil Norman made 43 saves in just under 62 minutes of action.
KEY STATS:
- Hobart finished the game with a 47-13 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Statesmen were 2-for-4 on the power-play and Buffalo State was 0-for-1 with the extra skater.
- The Bengals blocked 32 shots, a quarter of which were blocked by Parker Allison.
THE WINNER:
- Kozyrev was called for tripping at the 39-second mark of the overtime period. Aquaro scored the game-winning goal 1:10 later. He picked up a rebound in the left faceoff circle and ripped a shot past Norman. His fourth goal of the season was assisted by Cooper Swift, whose shot off the glass set up the goal, and Jared Patterson.
- Hobart had all five shots on goal in the extra session.
FIRST PERIOD:
- Hobart opened the scoring 49 seconds into the game. Gagik Malakyan blasted a shot from the point through traffic into the back of the net. His first goal of the season was assisted by Christian Duvall.
- The Bengals tied the game late in the first period. Kozyrev wristed a shot from the high slot off of the right goal post and across the goal line. Allison and Nick Stuckles notched assists on the goal.
SECOND PERIOD:
- The Statesmen regained a one-goal lead on a Mourar power-play goal. His shot from the point trickled past Norman for his first goal of the season. Jonah Alexander and Shane Shell had assists on the tally.
- Buffalo State tied the game at the 16:31 mark of the Period Tyler Vanuden snapped a one-timer from the right faceoff circle past Goyer for his fourth goal of the season. A.J. Manineli and Connor Bizal registered assists on the goal.
- Seventy-six seconds later Kozyrev gave the Bengals a 3-2 lead. After forcing a turnover in the offensive zone, Kozrev crashed the net and poked home a loose puck for his third goal of the season. Joe Glamos and Aidan Lavaley were awarded the assists.
THIRD PERIOD:
- The Statesmen dominated the final stanza, outshooting Buffalo State 12-4.
- Hobart avoided the upset bid thanks to Zach Tyson’s game-tying goal with 45 seconds remaining in regulation. He slapped a shot from the slot past Norman. Matthew Iasenza and Mourar were credited with assists on the goal.
COACH’S CORNER:
“I was happy with the way the game worked out for sure, but not because of the win,” Head Coach Mark Taylor said. “We won our last game and I am sure the guys would say I was a miserable bear in practice. It was a hard-earned win. That’s what it’s about. Go earn it. The guys stayed true to how you have to play this game. The game is the best teacher and if you watched tonight’s game we had a lot of positive plays, shots alone for and against tell a lot. We learned the hard way that it’s not just a game of mistakes but also a few really bad plays and or a few big plays but if you stay honest to the process, the hockey gods will give you the bounce off the glass landing on your leading scorer’s stick”
UP NEXT:
The Statesmen will be back in action tomorrow, November 12, when they take on Cortland in their first road game of the season. The faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].