POTSDAM, N.Y.-The fourth-ranked Hobart College hockey team scored twice in the first period and held on to defeat Potsdam 2-1 in a non-conference contest at the Maxcy Ice Arena this evening. Sophomore Joe Halstrom made a career-high 38 saves as the Statesmen improved to 6-1-1 on the season.
 
Seniors Lawson MacDougall (1g, 1a) and Zach Sternbach (1g, 1a) finished with a game-high two points each. Junior Mike Faulkner and sophomore Aaron Maguyon also had assists in the game.
 
Paul Michura scored for the Bears (1-6-1). Ryan Glander stopped 31 shots in just over 58 minutes of action in the Potsdam goal.
 
Hobart took control of the game right from the opening faceoff firing, six of the game's first seven shots on Glander. Maguyon had the game's first major scoring opportunity just over seven minutes into the game. He wristed a shot off the right goal post. Sternbach opened the scoring at the 7:30 mark of the period with his fourth goal of the season. With the teams playing 4-on-4, he carried the puck out of the right corner and ripped a shot over Glander's blocker and into the back of the net. MacDougall and Faulkner notched assists on the goal. MacDougall picked up a goal of his own at the 17:01 mark of the period. He backhanded a shot from the slot past Glander for his fourth goal of the season. Sternbach and Maguyon were credited with assists on the goal.
 
Potsdam broke up the shutout bid just under three minutes into the second period. Michura flipped a shot past Halstrom for his first goal of the season. The goal turned momentum in favor of the Bears but they were unable to put another puck past Halstrom. Tyler Young had a point blank chance stopped by Halstrom late in the second period.
 
Neither team scored in the third period. Potsdam outshot Hobart 16-9 in the final 20 minutes. With 30 seconds left in the game, Vincent Guimond had a golden scoring opportunity robbed by Halstrom.
 
Potsdam finished the game with a 39-33 edge in shots on goal. Neither team converted on the power play. The Statesmen were 0-for-2 with the man advantage and Potsdam was 0-for-4 with the extra attacker.
 
After a weekend off, Hobart will hit the road for a pair of New England Hockey Conference contests Dec. 6-7. The Statesmen will be at New England College on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. and at Southern Maine on Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.