GENEVA, N.Y.—Second-seeded Bryant University slipped past top-seeded Hobart College 5-4 to win the Northeast Conference Championship on Boswell Field this afternoon. The Bulldogs got 10 saves, including three in the fourth quarter, from tournament MVP junior goalie James Werner.
The Statesmen (9-7) had a 34-24 edge in shots, a 9-4 advantage on faceoffs, and committed two fewer turnovers (15-17). Bryant (10-7) had a slim 26-23 edge in ground balls. Both teams converted their lone extra-man opportunity.
Junior Cam Ziegler led the Bulldogs with a goal and an assist. Junior Chas South picked up four ground balls and caused a team-high three turnovers. Tucker James scored a goal and scooped up four ground balls.
For Hobart, senior
Arik Andreen had a team-high three caused turnovers, breaking the Hobart career record. He logged 61 over the past four season, one more than Sean Regan '13. Junior
Christopher Willman collected a team-high five ground balls. Junior J. Andrew Spallanzani won 9-of-13 faceoffs. Senior
Jackson Brown made 10 saves.
Hobart built a 3-2 first half lead. First-year
Eric Holden opened the scoring 65 seconds into the game. About four minutes later, Bryant was flagged for an illegal body check and senior
Tanner John cashed in with an extra-man goal for a 2-0 Statesmen lead.
First-year Jake Buonaiuto put the Bulldogs on the board, finishing a feed from Ziegler early in the second quarter. Near the five-minute mark, Hobart sophomore
Bryan Hancock restored the two-goal lead, collecting a rebound out in front and burying a shot in the upper right corner. Just over a minute later, senior Brett Baker got the goal back for Bryant, completing the first half scoring.
In the third quarter, Bryant seized the lead with back-to-back goals 40 seconds apart. Bryant drew a delayed slashing penalty on the Statesmen and Ziegler scored before the penalty was enforced. Then Tucker James scored an extra-man goal to make it 4-3 Bulldogs. Junior Kyle Cornell scored what proved to be the game winner just over a minute later to make it 5-3.
Senior
Frank Brown made it a one-goal game, ripping a shot through traffic into the upper left corner of the goal with 11:35 remaining.
The Statesmen got two shots on goal in the final four minutes, but Werner turned them both aside. Andreen set the table for Hobart's final shot with his record-breaking caused turnover.
The 13 Hobart seniors produced a record of 31-31 during their four seasons on campus, the most wins by a Hobart graduating class since 1996. They won the 2016 NEC Tournament Championship, played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, and won the 2017 NEC regular season championship.
Jackson Brown finished his career with a 25-21 record, 537 saves, a 10.04 goals against average, and a .532 save percentage. Among Division I Statesmen, he holds the record for wins, is third in saves, fourth in GAA, and fifth in save percentage.
Frank Brown capped his career with 81 goals and 39 assists for 120 points. He's seventh in career goals, eighth in points, and 12th in assists on Hobart's Division I lists. Brown's 50 points this season rank third among Division I Statesmen.
In addition to Andreen, classmate
Grant Soucy also ranks in the top 10 in caused turnovers with 40 (5th). Andreen's team-high 24 caused turnovers this season are second only to Reid Rosello's record 25 in 2013.
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Alex Hager, Robert Morris
Zachary Bryant, Robert Morris
Bryce Yurk, Sacred Heart
Brian Masi, Sacred Heart
Jackson Brown, Hobart
Arik Andreen, Hobart
Grant Soucy, Hobart
James Wener, Bryant
Chas South, Bryant
Kyle Mummau, Bryant
Tucker James, Bryant
MVP: James Werner
