Box Score LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—The Hobart hockey team outshot Neumann 36-24, but the Knights scored the only goals of the contest, a 2-0 decision in the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Semifinals. The Statesmen end the season with a program record 21-7-2 mark, while the Knights improve to 20-9-2 and will face Gustavus Adolphus in tomorrow's championship game.

Hobart came out fired up in the first period, controlling the tempo of play. The Statesmen kept Neumann keeper Ross MacKinnon under constant pressure, but the first-year stood on his head, stopping 12 shots. At the other end of the ice, senior Keith Longo handled all five shots he faced.

The goalies continued to dominate in the second period, but the offense came close for both squads. Shots were closer to even with Hobart holding a slim 11-10 edge. With just under four minutes remaining, junior Aleksey Koval skated into the offensive zone and rifled a shot on MacKinnon that trickled between his pads toward the goal line. The Knights' goalie twisted his body and dove on the puck just before it crept across the line.

Neumann had its best chance just a few seconds later. With Hobart on the power play, the Statesmen made a wild pass through center ice that a speedy Knight tracked down for a shot on Longo. He got enough of the puck to redirect it just wide of his right post.

In the third period, Neumann finally broke through. Kyle Casey skated in on the left wing and attempted a shot on goal, the try was deflected by a Hobart defenseman, but it came right to Matt Ward, who wristed it home for a power-play goal and a 1-0 lead with 8:44 remaining. The Knights' Lincoln Shrock iced the victory with an empty net goal with 40.5 seconds left.

MacKinnon finished the contest with 36 saves, while Longo made 22 stops.

Longo completed the season with the Hobart records for saves (876), save percentage (.939), goals against average (2.08), wins (18), and shutouts (3). He capped his career with 2,636 saves, a 2.30 GAA, a .930 save percentage, a 51-27-9 record, and eight shutouts, all Hobart records.

Over the past four years, the seven Statesmen seniors—Ryan Adler, Andy Brennan, Kirk Golden, Bryant Harris, Jason Merritt, Michael Steiner, and Longo—guided the team to a 72-31-9 overall record, seven more wins than any previous class. The Class of 2009 also produced the highest winning percentage of any class in Hobart hockey history, .683.

“They raised the bar one more notch,” Head Coach Mark Taylor said of his seniors. “Academically it's an outstanding group. Community service-wise, I think that speaks for itself. They're a classy bunch of guys that can play some great hockey.

“I'd be happy to have any one of them as a son.”