No. 2 Hobart broke a tie with three third-period goals Thursday to beat No. 3 Utica 4-1 at NBT Bank Arena and remain unbeaten.
Adam Mendelson and Connor Elliott scored 45 seconds apart, Easton Ryan added an insurance goal, and Connor Shibley made 27 saves as the Statesmen improved to 3-0, according to HWS Athletics.
Two quick goals decide ranked matchup
Mendelson put Hobart ahead 2-1 at 4:18 of the third period, taking a drop pass from Ryan and sending a wrist shot between Waylon Esche’s legs.
Bauer Morrissey also assisted on Mendelson’s second goal of the season, and Elliott followed 45 seconds later with a shot from the point off an Arvega Hovsepyan assist.
Ryan completed the scoring with just under three minutes left, getting his first goal of the season with assists from Mendelson and Heikki Virtanen.
Ryan and Mendelson each finished with a goal and an assist.
Shibley, penalty kill hold Utica to one
Hobart killed all seven Utica power plays, limiting the Pioneers to eight shots with the extra skater, while the Statesmen went 0-for-4 on their own power plays.
Shibley stopped Utica’s first three chances before Hobart began applying pressure, and the Statesmen finished with a 32-28 advantage in shots.
Frantisek Albrecht opened the scoring at 14:31 of the first period, stealing the puck from a defender and beating Esche with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle for his second goal of the season.
Gabriel Lundberg tied it just over three minutes into the second period with a shot from the point through traffic, assisted by Aydin Parekh and Eric Vitale.
Esche made 28 saves in his collegiate debut, including a stop on a Chris Duclair breakaway midway through the second period, as Utica fell to 1-1-1.
Hobart and Utica conclude their season series at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at The Cooler in Geneva.
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