The fifth-ranked Hobart College hockey team will open the New England Hockey Conference Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 19. The Statesmen are the No. 1 seed and will begin their quest for the Mariano Cup against the No. 8 seed Southern Maine. Faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at The Cooler.
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Hobart (18-4-2, 13-2-2) clinched the NEHC regular season title with a pair of wins last weekend against New England College and then No. 13 Norwich. Against the Pilgrims, the Statesmen rallied from a 3-0 deficit 84 seconds into the game to claim an 8-5 victory. The next day, Hobart shut out the Cadets 2-0 to extend their winning streak to four games.
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The Statesmen lead the NEHC and are third in the nation in scoring offense (5.00 gpg) and assists (215) and are fourth in points (335) and scoring margin (+2.71). In addition, Hobart is seventh in the nation in winning percentage (.792) and 19th in scoring defense (2.29).
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NEHC Rookie of the Year
Luke Aquaro leads the team with 29 points on 14 goals and 15 assists.
Aaron Maguyon also has 14 goals this season.
Zach Tyson has a team-best 17 assists. The Statesmen have spread the wealth around this season, five players have 20 points, 13 have hit double digits, 25 have scored a goal and 30 have found their way onto the scoresheet. The 215 assists and 335 points this season are third on Hobart's single-season list.
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Liam Lascelle and
Joe Halstrom have split minutes in goal this year. Lascelle has played the bulk of the minutes recently. He is 9-3-1 with a 2.17 goals against average and a .915 save percentage and three shutouts. Lascelle is 24th in the nation in GAA.
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Southern Maine brings an 8-13-1 overall record into today's game. The Huskies were 5-10-1 in NEHC play this year and earned the No. 8 seed. Southern Maine defeated ninth-seeded Castleton 2-1 in overtime in a first round game on Wednesday. Austin Marini leads the team with 16 points on eight goals and eight assists. He has three game-winning goals including the clincher against the Spartans. Anthony D'Aloisio has played a majority of the minutes in goal. He is 2-6-1 with a 4.36 GAA and a .887 save percentage.
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Saturday's game will be the 10th meeting between Hobart and Southern Maine. The Statesmen hold an 8-1-0 advantage in the series and have won all four meetings at The Cooler. Hobart won the first meeting this season 6-1 in Gorham, Maine. Aquaro had a pair of goals and
Cooper Swift led all skaters with four points on four assists.The Statesmen and Huskies have met once in the postseason, an 8-0 victory for Hobart back on Feb. 17, 2018.
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Fans who cannot be in attendance for Saturday's game can follow all the action with HWS All-Access Video and Live Stats. The game will be broadcast on WHWS-FM (105.7).
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