Two first-period goals helped No. 2 Hobart build a lead it never surrendered Saturday, beating No. 3 Utica 4-3 at The Cooler in Geneva to complete a weekend sweep.
The Statesmen improved to 4-0-0, while the Pioneers fell to 1-2-1. It was Hobart’s 71st consecutive home victory, extending its NCAA collegiate hockey record, according to Hobart and William Smith Athletics.
Junior forward Tamas Toth scored twice, while Christian Kocsis and Arvega Hovsepyan each contributed a goal and two assists. Bauer Morrissey added two assists, and James Norton made 16 saves for the win. Hobart has won seven straight meetings with Utica and eight of the last 10.
Toth gives Hobart an early lead
Toth scored on the game’s first shot, finishing a one-timer from the left post 59 seconds into the opening period for his second goal of the season. Kocsis and Hovsepyan assisted.
After hitting the right post with a shot from the right faceoff circle at 9:24, Toth scored from the low slot about four minutes later. Kocsis and Hovsepyan again supplied the assists, giving Hobart a 2-0 lead.
Utica answered with 39 seconds left in the first. Andrew Della Rovere’s shot from the slot deflected off a defender and past Norton for his second goal of the season. Gabriel Lundberg and Drake Morse assisted.
Second-period goals withstand Utica rally
Utica goaltender Mitchell Day made 10 saves in the second period, including a point-blank stop on Kocsis early in the frame. Nick Dimatos also hit the crossbar just past the midway point.
With four minutes left in the period, Kocsis redirected Conor Lally’s shot past Day on a delayed penalty for his first goal as a Statesman. Morrissey also assisted, making it 3-1.
Two minutes later, Hovsepyan scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway, lifting a backhand over Day’s right pad. Morrissey assisted again to put Hobart ahead 4-1.
Morse cut the lead to 4-2 with a power-play goal six seconds before the second intermission. His one-timer from the slot was his third goal of the season, with assists from Della Rovere and Evan Dantas.
Hobart’s Laurent Trepanier and Adam Ondris hit posts in the third period, and Day stopped Calum Chau with his right pad with five minutes remaining. Utica pulled within one with under four minutes left when Nicholas Rogers scored his third goal of the season after a Jakub Galnon faceoff win.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
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Explore this topic →Day finished with 22 saves in just over 58 minutes. Morse and Della Rovere each had a goal and an assist for Utica.
Hobart opens SUNYAC play next weekend
Hobart outshot Utica 26-19, led 18-16 in blocked shots and won 34 of 67 faceoffs. Utica went 1-for-3 on the power play; Hobart was 0-for-2. The Statesmen took three penalties for six minutes, while the Pioneers had two for four minutes.
The Statesmen begin SUNYAC play Friday, Nov. 13, at Skidmore in Saratoga Springs. They face Plattsburgh the following day. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
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