Box Score The sixth-ranked Hobart College hockey team used three short-handed goals to defeat ECAC West foe Neumann 6-2 today at The Cooler, setting a new program record for short-handed goals in a game. Senior goaltender
Keith Longo (Milford, Mass.) also set a new program standard, collecting 34 saves en route to his record 15th win of the year, while Head Coach
Mark Taylor picked up his 128th win, tying the program record.
The Statesmen improve to 18-5-0 on the season and 9-4-0 in the league, while the Knights fall to 12-9-2 overall and 6-5-2 in the ECAC West.
Senior
Jason Merritt (Chapel Hill, N.C.) led the Statesmen with two goals, while junior
Bobby Cahill (Farmington Hills, Mich.) notched a goal and an assist. Sophomore
Tom Capalbo (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) added two helpers.
After playing the majority of the first period scoreless, Hobart netted back-to-back short-handed goals to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Junior
Nick DeCroo (Sarver, Pa.) scored his league-leading 19th goal of the winter, and third short-handed, with 1 minute, 46 seconds left in the period. Forty-two seconds later, sophomore
Matt Wallace (Skaneateles, N.Y.) lit the lamp with his third shortie of the year.
The Statesmen exploded for four goals in the second stanza. Cahill scored the eventual game-winner just 17 seconds into the period, which was quickly followed by a goal from first-year
Greg Ciciola (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) at 2:29. Just over two minutes later, Merritt gave the hosts a 5-0 advantage with his first tally of the day. He added to the lead with his second goal, and the team's third short-handed, at the 11:23 mark.
The Knights finally got on the board with two quick power-play goals at 16:46 and 17:35, thanks to Matt Ward and Kyle Casey, but would not be able to recover from the 6-2 deficit they carried into the third period.
Matt Tendler and Ross MacKinnon combined for 25 saves in goal for Neumann.
The Statesmen will wrap up their regular season schedule next weekend, when they travel to Manhattanville for two ECAC West games.
