GENEVA, N.Y. – The No. 5/9 Hobart College hockey team scored four third period goals as they cruised to a 7-1 upset of No. 4/8 Geneseo at The Cooler this evening. Juniors Bobby Sokol and Carl Belizario each fired home two goals to pace the Statesmen.
The Knights (8-2-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 9:26 mark of the first period. Connor Anthoine snuck a shot past the Hobart goalie,Frank Oplinger. Jack Celglarski and Cam Hampson were credited with assists on the goal.
The Statesmen (9-2-2) tied the game at one with Belizario’s first goal of the game just six seconds after R.J. Burns was called for a holding penalty. Belizario fired a laser from the point past Devin McDonald, the Geneseo goalie. Tanner Shaw was credited with an assist on the Statesmen goal.
Hobart took a 2-1 lead just under two minutes into the second period when Nick Bingaman collected his fourth goal of the season. Bingaman redirected a shot from the point past McDonald. Tyler Wolf and Belizario were credited with assists on goal. Eighteen seconds later, Sean Rudy made it a two goal game. He picked the top right corner of the goal flipping a wrist shot from just inside the left faceoff circle.
The Statesmen added four goals in the third period to complete the upset. Sokol’s first of the game came at the 3:10 mark of the third period. Ben Gamache and Brandon Bistodeau set up Sokol’s third of the year. Belizario made it 5-1 a little over two minutes later. He fired another slap shot from the point that rang off the right post and found the back of the net. Bistodeau collected his second assist in as many goals. Brad Robbins was also credited with an assist. Sokol’s second of the game and fourth of the year was an unassisted goal. He danced through the Knight’s defense and deposited a shot in the back of the net. Gamache concluded the scoring when he sent an Andrew Silard pass behind McDonald.
Oplinger stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced in 60 minutes of action for Hobart. McDonald made 37 stops in 49:22 of action for Geneseo Matt Leon played the final 10:38 in goal for the Knights and turned aside seven of the eight shots he faced.
The Statesmen went 1 of 3 with the man advantage while Geneseo came away empty on its four opportunities.
