GENEVA, N.Y.---The Hobart College hockey team earned its spot in the NEHC Tournament championship game with a 3-2 win over Babson College tonight in The Cooler.
 
The Statesmen, the tournament's No. 2 seed, will take on No. 1 seeded Norwich on Saturday, March 3, at 7 p.m. in Northfield, Vt., for the NEHC tournament title. Hobart extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games and is now 16-5-5 this season. The Beavers, the No. 3 seed, fall to 15-9-3 overall.
 
This was the fourth meeting between Hobart and Babson this season. The Beavers held a 1-0-2 advantage in the three previous meetings. Junior Jonas Toupal and sophomore Zach Sternbach each logged a goal and an assist for Hobart. Sophomore Lawson MacDougall recorded two assists. Senior goalie Frank Oplinger made 25 saves in all 60 minutes in goal for the Statesmen.
 
After a scoreless first period, Hobart built a 2-0 lead in the second. Just 20 seconds in, Sternbach gave the Statesmen a 1-0 lead. He bodied in a blast by Toupal. It was Toupal's turn to score on the power play at 8:11 on. On a Hobart breakout, MacDougall carried the puck into the zone and dished to Toupal who drilled a shot off the crossbar and down across the line. First-year Mike Faulkner also earned an assist on the play.
 
Babson had a number of scoring opportunities in the second period, but stellar saves and repeated blocked shots by the Statesmen kept them off the scoreboard in the middle period. The Beavers had a power play 12:12 into the second. During that power-play, Bobby Hall had a chance saved by Oplinger. Josh Capser had back-to-back shots blocked by senior Jordan Haskell. Oplinger saved two more tries by Charlie Ackerman and Ryan Gouveia, and first-year TJ Schultz blocked a second try by Gouveia. Oplinger also denied a shot by Tommy Muichiello before that power-play chance for the Beavers came to a close.
 
Babson did take advantage of a power play at 9:18 into the third to get on the scoreboard. Patrick Flynn fired a shot on goal that was saved by Oplinger. The rebound bounced to Nick Rosa who slid his shot into the back of the goal.
 
Babson had a power play with just under five minutes left in the third. The Beavers pulled their goalie, Matt Pompa, for another extra skater with 4:24 on the clock. Babson couldn't find the game-tying goal, instead sophomore Will Harrison notched the empty net goal for the Statesmen. Harrison came down the left side to score after passes from Sternbach and MacDougall.
 
The Beavers did not go away quietly, however, they pulled Pompa again with 1:47 on the clock, and this time it paid off as Matt Brazel got Babson within one with 1:08 left in regulation. His shot from the point came off assists from Josh Casper and Charlie Ackerman. The Beaver pulled Pompa again for the final 45 seconds of the third, but the Statesmen defense held strong for the remainder.
 
Babson finished with a 27-23 edge in shots. Hobart went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Beavers finished 1-for-4. Pompa made 20 saves in 57:32 in goal for Babson.