The Hobart College hockey team will host Plymouth State in an NCAA tournament first round game on Saturday March 9. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at The Cooler.
 
Tickets will be $6 for adults, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children ages 3-12. Children two and under get in free. Hobart athletics and the Statesmen Athletic Association will cover the cost of HWS students, faculty and staff with a valid ID. The campus shuttle will be running from Medbury Lot to The Cooler continuously from 5:30-7 p.m.  
 
The Statesmen are ranked No. 7 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 8 in the D3hockey.com poll. Hobart enters the weekend with a 19-7-2 overall record. The Statesmen rank sixth in the nation in scoring margin (+1.93 gpg), eighth in scoring offense (4.04 gpg), 11th in winning percentage, and 14th in scoring defense (2.11 gpg).
 
Senior Jonas Toupal and first-year Zach Tyson are tied for the team lead with 26 points each. Toupal has 12 goals and 14 assists and Tyson has six goals and a team best 20 assists. Sophomore Travis Schneider has a team best 14 goals. With seven helpers, Schneider has a career-high 21 points this season. Junior Zach Sternbach (8g, 15a) and junior Lawson MacDougall (8g, 12a) also have 20 points this season. First-year Liam Lascelle and junior Alexander Connal have split time in goal this season. Lascelle is 8-2-2 overall with a 1.67 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. He is ranked seventh in the nation in GAA and 10th in save percentage.
 
Plymouth State is receiving votes in both polls. The Panthers are making their third appearance in the NCAA tournament and bring a 17-7-3 overall record to Geneva. Plymouth State is ranked ninth in the nation in scoring offense (3.96 gpg), 15th in scoring margin (+1.37 goals per game), 23rd on the power play (21.6%) and 25th on the penalty kill.
 
Michael Covach leads the team with 12 goals, 28 assists and 40 points. Matt Volonnino is right behind him with a team best 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points. Ryan Stevensleads the Panthers with 25 assists. Evan Morelli has played a majority of the minutes in goal. He is 15-6-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.30 GAA.
 
Saturday's game will be the first meeting between Hobart and Plymouth State.
 
Hobart Head Coach Mark Taylor is in his 18th season behind the bench. He sports a 307-150-49 overall record.
 
 
Plymouth State is led by Craig Russell, who is in his ninth year as head coach. Russell is 157-63-22 at the helm for Panthers.
 
Fans unable to make it to The Cooler can follow all of the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video. The game will also be broadcast live on WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).