The No. 6/8 Hobart College hockey played through overtime to a 3-3 draw with Babson College in an NEHC game played this afternoon in Babson Park, Mass. The Statesmen are now 4-2-2 overall and 3-1-2 in conference play.
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The Beavers are 4-2-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the NEHC. It was Hobart's fourth overtime game this season. The Statesmen are 1-1-2 in games that go to overtime. Sophomore
Zach Sternbach and junior Jonas Touapl led Hobart with a goal and an assist. Sophomore
Julien Denicourt also scored for the Statesmen. Senior
Frank Oplinger made a season-high 29 saves in the tie. He is now 2-1-1 in goal this season.
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Rob Devaney produced a goal and an assist for Babson. Charlie Ackerman and Matt Michalke added goals for the Beavers. Matt Pompa stopped 30 shots in all 65 minutes in goal.
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Denicourt scored his first goal of the season to give Hobart a 1-0 advantage 6:23 into the first period. Junior
Tanner Shaw and Sternbach were credited with the assists. At 10:12 into the second period, Toupal stretched the Statesmen lead to 2-0 with his fifth goal this year. His power-play tally came off an assist from junior
Cam Shaheen.
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Ackerman broke through for Babson with 2:54 left in the middle period. Sternbach responded for Hobart, making it 3-1 just five seconds later. It was his fourth goal this year. Toupal and sophomore
Lawson MacDougall earned the assists.
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The Beavers battled back with two third period goals to send the game into overtime. Devaney notched a power-play goal 5:23 into the third off an assist from Joe DePietto. With 6:09 left in regulation, Michalke netted the game-tying goal. Matt Holtshouser and Devaney were credited with the assists. Neither team could find the game winner in the extra five minutes.
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The Statesmen finished with a 33-32 edge in shots. Hobart went 1-for-3 on the power play and the Beavers finished 1-for-2.
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The Statesmen are back in action on Friday Dec. 1, when they play an NEHC game at Skidmore at 7 p.m., before hosting the Thoroughbreds for a conference game on Saturday, Dec. 2 in The Cooler at 7 p.m.
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