Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.—The ninth-ranked Hobart College hockey team downed Potsdam 5-2 this afternoon in non-conference action at The Cooler. The Statesmen improve to 9-2-0 on the season, while the Bears drop to 5-7-3 overall.

Potsdam scored first, as sophomore Connor Treacy (Markham, Ont.) snuck one past junior Hobart goalie Keith Longo (Hopedale, Mass.), just 58 seconds into the game. Treacy was assisted by sophomore Luke Beck (Charlottetown, P.E.I.).

Hobart sophomore Aleksey Koval (Kiev, Ukraine) answered with an unassisted shorthanded goal at the 9:45 mark. A few minutes later, juniors Jason Merritt (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Ryan Adler (Piscataway, N.J.) found senior Shawn Houde (Manchester, N.H.) for a tally, taking the lead for good at 14:06.

Sophomore Nick DeCroo (Sarver, Pa.) scored shorthanded (4-on-6) with 36 seconds remaining in the first period, giving the Statesmen a 3-1 lead at the first break. His goal was the eventual game-winner.

After a scoreless second stanza, Hobart sophomore Jordan Zitoun (Irving, Texas) lit the lamp twice in the third. His goals sandwiched another Potsdam score, this time from first-year Steve Plancey (Point Pleasant, N.J.), making the final score 5-2.

Longo finished with 33 saves in his fifth win of the season, while first-year Travis Crickard (St. John, Nfld.) and senior Rob Barnhardt (Fort Erie, Ont.) combined for 23 stops in net for the Bears.

Hobart finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Potsdam was 0-for-6.

The Statesmen will be back in action after the holidays, when they travel to Williams on Jan. 5 for a non-league contest at 7 p.m.