Box Score GENEVA, N.Y. – The Hobart Ice Hockey team got their first win under new Head Coach Mark Taylor in their home opener. For Taylor not only was it his first win as a Statesmen, but also his first win as a head coach. The win came in timely fashion for Hobart as they had lost their first two games on the road.

Hobart got on the board first in this contest as first-year Chris Doolan (Hill School/Lyndell, Pa.) put one past Cortland net-minder John Larnerd with 15:30 gone in the first period. The period would end with Statesmen holding a one goal lead, a lead that they would never relinquish.

At the beginning of the second period senior defensemen Eric Christianson (Wilibraham & Monson Academy/East Longmeadow, Mass.) netted his first goal of the season, making the score 2-0. Four minutes later the Red Dragons cut the lead in half with a goal by Greg Menchen. With just over five minutes to go in the second period senior forward Greg Reynholds (Loomis Chaffee/South Glastonbury, Conn.) gave the Statesmen some breathing room deflecting a slapshot into the Cortland goal to put Hobart up 3-1.

In the third period, the Red Dragons would close to within one at the 5:21 mark. However, senior forward Jerry Toomey (Pingree/Woburn, Mass.) put the game away going coast-to-coast beating a diving Larnerd with less than five minutes to go.

Senior goaltender Chris Connolly (Pingree/Melrose, Mass.) finished the game with 39 saves in the 4-2 victory. Toomey had a goal and an assist for two points while senior forward Tim McCarthy (Northwood/Cazenovia, N.Y.) added two assists. The Statesmen return to action on Sat., Nov. 4, when they host Neumann College at 4 p.m.

–HWS SPORTS–