The Hobart hockey team opens the New England Hockey Conference Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at The Cooler. The Statesmen are the No. 4 seed and host No. 5 seed New England College for a quarterfinal contest.
 
Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children. Students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with valid HWS ID.
 
Hobart is currently ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 11 in the D3hockey.com poll. The Statesmen bring a 17-6-2 overall record and an 11-5-2 mark in conference play into the postseason. Hobart leads the NEHC in scoring offense (4.16 g/gm) and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring defense (2.24 g/gm).
 
Forwards senior Jonas Toupal and first-year Zach Tyson are tied for the team lead in points with 25. Toupal has 12 goals and 13 assists. He is sixth in the conference in points and seventh in goals. Tyson has a team best 19 assists and six goals. He is second in the conference in rookie scoring and third in assists. Sophomore Travis Schneider is tied for the team lead with 12 goals. Junior Alexander Connal and first-year Liam Lascelle have split time in goal this season. Connal is 8-5-0 with a 2.30 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. Lascelle is 6-1-2 with a 1.87 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
 
Hobart and New England College have met twice this season. On Nov. 17, 2018, the Statesmen earned a 3-1 victory at The Cooler and on Jan. 25, Hobart rallied from a three-goal deficit to tie New England College 4-4 in Henniker, N.H. The Pilgrims finished the regular season 16-4-5 overall, 9-4-5 in the NEHC.
 
Carlos Fornaris leads New England College with 28 assists and 33 points. Connor Fries has a team best 16 goals. Anthony Pupplo has played a majority of the minutes in goal for the Pilgrims. He is 12-4-5 with a 1.93 GAA.
 
Fans unable to make it to Saturday's contest can follow the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video.