UTICA, N.Y.—The second-ranked Hobart hockey team scored three goals in the third period as it knocked off third-ranked Utica 4-1 in a non-conference contest at the NBT Bank Arena this evening.
Senior
Easton Ryan and junior
Adam Mendelson led Hobart, recording a goal and an assist each. First-year
Frantisek Albrecht and junior
Connor Elliott also scored in the win. Junior
Connor Shibley went the distance in goal and stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced.
Gabriel Lundberg had the Pioneers' goal. Waylon Esche played all 60 minutes in goal and made 28 saves in his collegiate debut.
FOR THE RECORD
- With today's win, the Statesmen improve to 3-0-0 to start the year.
- Utica falls to 1-1-1 overall.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Hobart finished the game with a 32-28 edge in shots on goal.
- Neither team scored on the power play. Utica was 0-for-7 with the man advantage and the Statesmen were 0-for-4 on the power play. Hobart limited the Pioneers to just eight shots on its seven power plays.
FIRST PERIOD
- Utica had the first three scoring chances of the game, but Shibley stood tall, stopping shots from Jakub Galnor, Anthony Bax and Alexander Gullichsen.
- Following that flurry, Hobart swung momentum in its favor, applying pressure in the offensive zone. Esche made a strong glove save on a shot from Conor Lally at the 3:32 mark of the stanza. He then stopped a Chris Duclair slap shot two minutes later.
- Albrecht opened the scoring at the 14:31 mark of the first period. He stole a puck from a Utica defender, carried it into the right faceoff circle and snapped a wrist shot over Esche's shoulder into the upper right corner of the cage. It was Albrecht's second goal of the season.
- Hobart controlled the opening stanza, finishing with a 12-7 advantage in shots on goal.
SECOND PERIOD
- Utica tied the game just over three minutes into the second period. Lundberg fired a shot from the point through traffic and into the back of the net. Aydin Parekh and Eric Vitale had assists on the goal.
- Esche made his biggest save of the game at the 9:54 mark of the frame. He robbed Chris Duclair of a breakaway attempt just after Hobart had killed off a penalty.
- The middle stanza was tightly contested, with Hobart finishing the period with a 13-12 edge in shots on goal.
THIRD PERIOD
- The Statesmen broke the game open with three goals in the final 20 minutes.
- Mendelson scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal at the 4:18 mark of the third period. He collected a drop pass from Ryan and ripped a wrist shot through Esche's legs. Senior Bauer Morrissey also had an assist on Mendelson's second goal of the season.
- Forty-five seconds later, Elliott snapped a shot from the point past the Utica goalie for his second goal of the season. Junior Arvega Hovsepyan had an assist on the goal.
- Ryan tacked on an insurance goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation. His first goal of the season was assisted by Mendelson and junior Heikki Virtanen.
COACH'S CORNER
"That was Hobart hockey, new guys and old guys doing it, my top offensive players being great defensively and my 200 foot defensive dogs snipping one of the posts. Back stopped by great goaltender from a great teammate. It wasn't easy, and that's is the way we want it." - The Thomas B. Poole '61 and Family Head Coach of Hobart Hockey
Mark Taylor said.
UP NEXT
Hobart and Utica will conclude the season series on Saturday, Nov. 7, when the teams meet at The Cooler. The opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m.
