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.
 
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.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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).