GENEVA, N.Y.-The seventh-ranked Hobart College hockey team jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on to defeat Skidmore 4-2 in a New England Hockey Conference contest at The Cooler this evening. With the win, the Statesmen are now 13-4-3 overall and 7-4-2 in NEHC play.
 
Four different players scored in the victory for Hobart. Sophomore Zach Tyson led the way, finishing with a team-high two points on two assists. Sophomore Joe Halstrom started in goal and made 26 saves as he earned the victory.
 
Cole Beckstead (2a) and Avery Shade (1g, 1a) each had multi-point games for the Thoroughbreds (10-6-4, 6-5-2). Brandon Kasel started in goal and made 42 saves in just over 56 minutes of action. The Thoroughbreds played the final four minutes with the net empty, looking to erase a two-goal deficit.
 
Junior Travis Schneider opened the scoring at the 6:43 mark of the first period with his sixth goal of the season. Schneider collected a pass from Tyson in the neutral zone, raced into the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot into the upper left corner of the goal. First-year Brenden Howell was also credited with an assist on the goal. Just over a minute later, sophomore Dan Sliney gave Hobart a 2-0 lead. He poked a loose puck across the goal line for his fifth goal of the season. Senior Will Harrison was credited with an assist on the goal. Sophomore Jake Gresh scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal at the 16:58 mark of the opening period. He fired a shot from the point, through traffic and into the back of the net. His fifth goal of the season was assisted by junior TJ Schultz and senior Zach Sternbach.
 
Sixty seconds later, Mike Gelatt made it a two goal game with his fourth goal of the season. Cole Beckstead and Avery Steele notched assists on the goal. Steele won the offensive zone faceoff forward into the left corner. Beckstead corralled the loose puck and slipped a pass to Gelatt in the low slot. Gelatt stuffed the puck between Halstrom's pads and into the net.
 
Skidmore scored the only goal in the second period. Steele one-timed a shot from the left faceoff circle past Halstrom. Beckstead and Matthew Monk were credited with assists on the goal.
 
Sophomore Aaron Maguyon wrapped up the scoring at the 5:11 mark of the third period. He flipped a shot from the slot past Kasel for his sixth goal of the season. Tyson was credited with an assist on the goal.
 
Hobart finished the game with a 46-28 edge in shots on goal. Neither team converted on the power play. The Statesmen were 0-for-1 with the man advantage and the Thoroughbreds were 0-for-2 with the extra attacker.
 
Hobart and Skidmore will wrap up the season series tomorrow in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.