Hobart College ice hockey seniors Carl Belizario (Dorval, Quebec) and Nick Bingaman (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) were honored by the ECAC West with end of season awards. Belizario was voted the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the all-conference first team, while Bingaman was named to the second team.
It’s the second year in a row Belizario has earned All-ECAC West first team honors. It’s also the third year in a row the Defensive Player of the Year Award has gone to a Statesman. Belizario leads the Hobart defense that ranks first in the ECAC West and 15th in the nation, allowing an average of 2.37 goals per game. He has played in 23 games this year and ranks second on the team with 11 assists. Belizario has also notched four goals for 15 points, just one point shy of his career-high mark of 16 set his first-year season. He is tied for seventh in the league in defenseman scoring. Belizario also plays a key role in the Statesmen’s league-leading penalty kill unit. Hobart has denied 116 of its opponents 133 power-play chances this year.
A 2016 AHCA All-American and D3hockey.com all-region pick, Belizario has played in 104 career games. He has notched 14 goals and 42 assists for 56 points. He was also named to the ECAC West All-Rookie team in 2014.
A captain, Bingaman has played in all 27 games this season. He leads Hobart with career-highs of 28 points and 18 goals and has dished out 10 assists. Bingaman is tied for second in the ECAC West in goals and tied for sixth in points. He’s also a standout on special teams, and is tied for second in the conference with three short-handed points, tied for third with two short-handed goals and tied for 11th with four power-play goals. Bingaman produced the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Skidmore and in a 6-2 ECAC West tournament semifinal victory at Manhattanville. He has notched at least a point in 21 of 27 games this year, registering a season-high three points in a 3-2 win over then No. 4 Geneseo and in a 5-2 win over Brockport.
Bingaman has played in 104 career games. He has logged 43 goals and 36 assists for 79 points. Bingaman is currently tied for ninth on Hobart’s list for career short-handed goals with four.
The two-time defending champions and No. 3 seed Statesmen (19-4-4) will play at top-seeded Utica (18-8-0) for the ECAC West tournament title on Saturday, March 4, at 1 p.m.
