The No. 7 Hobart College hockey team played through overtime to a 3-3 tie with Manhattanville tonight in the first game of the 2018 Pathfinder Bank/Oswego Hockey Classic in the Lakers' Marano Campus Center this evening. The Valiants advanced to the tournament championship game 1-0 in a three round shootout.
 
The Statesmen are now 8-2-4 overall this season. Hobart is unbeaten in its last seven games. Mahattanville is 6-4-3 this year. It's the sixth time Hobart has played to overtime this year. Nine different players earned a point in the tie for Hobart. While eight different players notched a point for Manhattanville. Senior Frank Oplinger made 25 saves in 64:59 in goal for the Statesmen, and Tyler Feaver finished with 32 saves in 64:56 in goal for the Valiants.
 
After playing through 65 minutes to a 3-3 tie, there was a three round shootout since a winner was needed in this weekend's tournament format. The Valiants' Stephen Gaul was the only player to capitalize on a shootout attempt, sending Manhattanville to tomorrow's championship game. The Valiants will face the winner of No. 4 Oswego tomorrow, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. Hobart will face Skidmore at 4 p.m.
 
Gaul gave Manhattanville a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal with three minutes remaining in the first period. Bryan Platt and Ryan Jackson earned the assists. Junior Tanner Shaw answered with a Hobart power-play goal just 48 seconds into the second period. Junior Jonas Toupal and sophomore Lawson MacDougall set up Shaw's third goal this year. Kevin Lapatto took back the lead for Manhattanville 10:30 into the second. Axel Walltott was credited with the assist. With just 1:01 remaining in the second, first-year Mike Faulkner knotted the game up at 2-2 for Hobart. It was his third goal this season. He collected a pass from junior Cam Shaheen from behind the net and scored five-hole. Senior Vincent Russo also logged an assist on the play.
 
With 4:24 left in the third, Matt Lippa scored on a one-on-one with Oplinger to put the Valiants up 3-2. Thimmy Garbenius and Oscar Arfelt registered the assists. With just 1:22 left in regulation, senior Tyler Wolf fired a shot past Feaver to tie the game up at 3-3 and send it into overtime. It was his third goal this winter. Seniors Jordan Haskell and Ben Greiner set up the play.
 
Hobart finished with a 35-38 advantage in shots. Each team went 1-for-3 on the power play.