The Hobart College soccer team, the No. 2 seed in the Liberty League tournament, dropped its tournament semifinal match to No. 3 seed Skidmore 1-0 this afternoon on Cozzens Field. The Statesmen fall to 13-3-2 this season.
 
Hobart is ranked No. 10 in this week's NSCAA poll. The Thoroughbreds, the only team the Statesmen lost to in league play during the regular season, snapped the Hobart's seven match win streak. The Statesmen will now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. The 61-team field will be announced on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 9 at 1:30 p.m.
 
The Thoroughbreds scored in the 51st minute to secure the victory and a spot in the Liberty League tournament championship game. Skidmore will face the winner of No. 1 St. Lawrence and No. 4 Union. Their semifinal match will be played in Canton, N.Y., tomorrow, Nov. 4. The championship will be played at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, Nov. 7.
 
Ben Poole logged the game winner for the Thoroughbreds. Ben Caples lofted a throw in from the far right corner into the box. Poole was there, right in front of the goal, to get a touch on the ball. It bounced up to the crossbar and fell over the goal line.
 
The Statesmen held the momentum in the first half, out shooting the Thoroughbreds 6-3. One of Hobart's best scoring chances came with 20 minutes left in the first half, first-year Derrick Acheampong came streaking into the box for a one-on-one with the keeper, but Skidmore goalie, Eli Kisselbach was there to dive on top of the ball, just before Acheampong could get his shot off.
 
Skidmore came out strong in the second half. The Thoroughbreds broke through in the 51st minute and continued to get scoring chances. It appeared Skidmore's Augustine Okoye had scored with 29:43 left in the game to make it 2-0, but the goal was called off, as the Thoroughbreds were whistled offsides. With 27:47 remaining and after another deep throw in for Caples, Todd Jensen put a header on goal, but Hobart's senior goalie Tyler Serafine made the leaping save.
 
The Statesmen's best scoring chance of the second half came with 26 minutes left in regulation. After a throw in by junior Joe Busuttil, junior Joseph Escamilla put a hard header on goal, but Kisselbach stepped up to make the save and preserve the shutout. He finished with three saves for Skidmore and Serafine made five saves for Hobart.
 
Each team finished with 11 shots. The Thoroughbreds held a 3-2 edge in corners.