The Hobart College hockey team was one of 12 teams selected to compete in the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The Statesmen earned the NEHC’s automatic bid and will host Geneseo in a first round game at The Cooler on Saturday, March 10 at 7 p.m.
Tickets will be $6 for adults, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children 12 and under. Children 2 and under get in free.
Seven teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship, while five others were awarded at-large selections. This is the first year Hobart has earned an automatic bid to the tournament.
The Statesmen (18-5-5) will be making their eighth overall and fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance. Hobart captured the NEHC Tournament title in its inaugural season in the conference with a 3-0 win at top-seeded Norwich on Saturday. The Statesmen have earned four straight conference tournament titles, winning the final three ECAC West Tournament titles before leaving the league.
Junior Jonas Toupal leads the Statesmen with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists. Sophomore Lawson MacDougall has dished out a team-high 20 assists and added five goals for 25 points. Senior Frank Oplinger and sophomore Alexander Connal have split time in goal this season. Oplinger has a 1.92 goals against average, a .923 save percentage and a 9-2-3 record. Connal has a 1.69 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and a 9-3-2 record.
Geneseo brings a 19-5-3 overall record. The Knights topped Fredonia 7-1 to win the SUNYAC Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Conlan Keenan leads the team with 39 points on 18 goals and 21 assists. Tyson Empey has logged a team-high 21 goals and 15 assists for 36 points, while Andrew Romano has six goals and a team-high 30 assists for 36 points. Devin McDonald has played the majority of minutes in goal and has a 1.78 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and an 18-3-3 record.
Geneseo and Hobart have met 69 times in a series that dates back to 1978. The Knights hold a 39-27-3 advantage in the series. However, the Statesmen have won the past three meetings. The teams last met on Jan. 24, 2017, when Hobart earned a 3-2 victory in Geneseo, N.Y.
Fans unable to make it to The Cooler can follow the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video.
