Box Score GENEVA, N.Y. -- The Hobart College hockey team did what no other unranked team has been able to do this season against top-ranked SUNY-Plattsburgh, take the Cardinals to overtime. Plattsburgh quelled the upset-in-the-making with a goal 38 seconds into the extra frame to secure an exciting 7-6 overtime victory at the Geneva Recreation Complex.
"I'm real proud of our guys effort today," Head Coach Bill Greer said. "We've had more downs than ups this season, but there's been no give up in our guys. It would have been real easy to give up, but we proved a lot to a lot of people today."
The Cardinals (14-1) got on the board first, scoring five minutes into the contest on a goal by senior Eric Seidel (Nyack, N.Y.). Seidel finished with a goal and two assists. The Statesmen (3-11) responded with the game's next three goals to take a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.
Senior Travis Finkle (Youngstown, N.Y.) evened the game with an unassisted, power play goal with less than two minutes remaining in the first period. Hobart claimed the lead just over two minutes into the second stanza on a power play goal by junior Brad Kelly (Chelmsford, Mass.) with Finkle and junior Tim McCarthy (Cazenovia, N.Y.) picking up the assists. The point moved Finkle past Dana Angelo '90 (131 points) into third place on Hobart's career scoring list. The Statesmen took a two-goal lead at the 7:47 mark of the second on a McCarthy goal assisted by junior Zach Mundy (Cranston, R.I.).
Plattsburgh pulled to within one before the second intermission on a power play goal by Brendon Hodge (Lynnfield, Mass.). The Cardinals tied the game less than three minutes into the third period on a tally by senior Jeff Paluseo (S. Plymouth, Mass.).
The Statesmen retook the lead at the eight minute mark on McCarthy's second goal, assisted by junior Jerry Toomey (Rochester, N.Y.) and Mundy. Plattsburgh scored the next three goals for a 6-4 advantage.
Junior Greg Reynholds (S. Glastonbury, Conn.) renewed Hobart's hopes of an upset with a goal at the 17:45 minute mark on assists by junior Matt Pane (St. James, N.Y.) and Finkle. The assist moved Finkle past Keith Levinthal '95 (68) into third place on the Hobart career assists list.
Statesmen netminder Chris Connolly (Melrose, Mass.) headed to the bench with 53 seconds remaining in regulation to give Hobart the extra skater. The junior finished with 42 saves.
With less than 30 seconds remaining, Reynholds won a crucial face-off just outside of the Hobart zone. Toomey took the successful draw and fed Finkle for a game-tying goal with 11 ticks remaining, forcing overtime. For the third time in the game, Finkle moved up the Hobart career charts. This time passing Phil McCarthy '91 (64) for third place on the career goals list.
Plattsburgh had been pushed to overtime only one time prior to this afternoon's contest, a 4-3 win over eighth-ranked Elmira on Jan. 8. The only team to beat the Cardinals was No. 5 Norwich on Jan. 11 (4-0).
Junior Matt Warren (Port Huron, Mich.) scored the game-winner for the Cardinals. Sophomore Niklas Sundberg (Stockholm, Sweden) made 22 stops for Plattsburgh.
Hobart returns to action on Mon., Jan. 17, when it hosts SUNY-Potsdam at 7:30 p.m.
--HWS SPORTS--
