Sophomore forward Luke Aquaro scored a pair of goals as the top-ranked Hobart College Hockey team defeated UMass Boston, 3-0, in a New England Hockey Conference contest at the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink Saturday afternoon. With their eighth straight victory, the Statesmen are now 8-0-0 overall this season and are 4-0-0 in NEHC play. The Beacons fall to 2-6-0 overall with a 2-4-0 mark in conference play.
Hobart’s eight straight wins to start the year match the program record set in 2007-08.
First-year Damon Beaver stopped all 28 shots he faced as the Statesmen recorded their third consecutive shutout. Liam Murray made 31 saves in goal for UMass Boston.
KEY STATS:
- The Statesmen finished the game with a 34-26 edge in shots on goal.
- UMass Boston was 0-for-7 on the power play and Hobart was 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
FIRST PERIOD:
- Aquaro opened the scoring 98 seconds into the game. He one-timed a shot from the left faceoff circle past Murray for his seventh goal of the season. Shane Shell and Jonah Alexander were awarded assists on the goal.
- Alexander gave the Statesmen a 2-0 lead with one second remaining on the clock. He wristed a shot from the slot past Murray for his fourth goal of the season. While it was an unassisted goal, Aquaro’s hit on a Beacon forward caused the turnover leading to the tally.
SECOND PERIOD:
- Fresh off killing a 5-on-3 advantage for UMass Boston, Aquaro was hauled down on a breakaway. He buried the ensuing penalty shot for his eighth goal of the season.
THIRD PERIOD:
- Austin Mourar nearly gave Hobart a four-goal lead, but his blast from the point hit the goal post.
- The Statesmen finished the final stanza with a 10-8 edge in shots on goal.
COACH’S CORNER:
“Today was a very well executed, disciplined win,” Head Coach Mark Taylor said. “The guys played with really good purpose. Both games were well-earned and the icing on the cake was seeing the alumni after the games. Especially seeing the guys from my first year there, with their kids, enjoying the wins.”
UP NEXT:
After a week off for Thanksgiving, the Statesmen will be back in action Dec. 2-3, when they begin a five-game homestand to conclude the 2022 portion of their schedule. The Statesmen will take on Castleton on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. and Skidmore on Dec. 3 at 4 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].