BOSTON, Mass.-The Hobart College hockey team scored a pair of goals in the first period and added a goal in the second and third periods as it defeated UMass Boston 4-0 in a New England Hockey Conference semifinal contest at Edward T. Barry Ice Rink this evening.  With the win, the Statesmen are now 19-6-2 overall this season and are unbeaten in their last nine games.
 
Hobart, the tournament's No. 4 seed, will take on No. 2 seed Norwich on Saturday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in Northfield, Vt., for the NEHC tournament title. Saturday's game will be a rematch of last season's title game.
 
First-year Dan Sliney, who entered the game with one goal on the season, led the way for Hobart, scoring twice. Five other players recorded a point in the win for the Statesmen. First-year Liam Lascelle made 27 saves in goal as he posted his fourth shutout of his rookie season. Bailey MacBurnie made 28 saves in goal for the Beacons.
 
UMass Boston (19-6-2) nearly opened the scoring at the 2:03 mark of the first period but Evan Rochowiak's shot from the point ricocheted off the left post and the crossbar and bounced harmlessly to the end boards.
 
The Statesmen broke the game open, scoring a pair of goals in the span of sixty seconds. Sliney's first goal of the game and second of the season came at the 6:39 mark of the opening period. He picked up a rebound and slid the puck across the goal line. Fellow first-year PA Martineau was credited with an assist on the goal. Forty-three seconds later, sophomore Travis Schneider one-timed a crossing pass into the back of the net. First-year Aaron Maguyon was credited with an assist on Schneider's 14th goal of the season. Maguyon forced a turnover in the neutral zone, carried the puck into the offensive zone and flicked a cross ice pass to Schneider.
 
Sliney extended Hobart's lead to 3-0 at the 12:54 mark of the second period with his second goal of the game. Standing in the slot, he redirected a Tanner Shaw slap shot from the point past MacBurnie for his third goal of the season.
 
Junior Julien Denicourt added an empty-net goal at the 19:04 mark of the third period. He fired a shot from the red line into the net. His fifth goal of the season was unassisted.
 
Hobart finished the game with a 32-27 edge in shots on goal. Neither team was able to convert on the power play. The Statesmen were 0-for-5 and the Beacons were 0-for-3 with the man advantage.