The Hobart hockey team remained the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation in the USCHO.com poll which was released this afternoon. This is the 46th consecutive poll that the Statesmen have been ranked No. 1.
 
The Statesmen have been ranked No. 1 in the polls for 826 days. During their stay, at No. 1, the Statesmen have been the unanimous No. 1 team 28 times. Since earning the top spot in the poll for the first time in program history on Nov. 14, 2022, Hobart has been ranked in the top spot in 60 of the 70 polls. In addition, the Statesmen were ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Power Index for the fifth straight week, holding a six-point gap on the No. 2 ranked team.
 
Hobart (27-0-0) secured its spot in the SUNYAC Championship Game with a 4-0 win over Cortland on Saturday night. Four different Statesmen scored in the victory. All-SUNYAC selections, Kahlil Fontana (1g, 2a) and Arvega Hovsepyan (1g, 2a) led the way for the Statesmen with three points each. Senior Damon Beaver stopped all 19 shots he faced as he recorded the 25th shutout of his career.
 
Hobart enters the week first in the nation in scoring offense (5.44), scoring defense (0.93) and scoring margin (+4.52). The Statesmen are second in power-play percentage (.343) and fourth in penalty-killing percentage.
 
Individually, Hovsepyan is fourth in the nation in assists per game (1.11) and ninth in points per game (0.74). Fontana is eighth in the nation in goals per game (0.74) and 11th in points per game. Beaver is first in the nation in GAA (0.95), save percentage (.952) and shutouts (6). Fellow senior goalie Mavrick Goyer is second in the nation in GAA (0.96), first in shutouts (6) and fourth in save percentage (.942). His 3-0 shutout of Fredonia last Wednesday was his fifth straight goose egg.
 
The Statesmen will be back in action on Saturday, March 7, when they welcome 13th-ranked Oswego to The Cooler. The Lakers (19-6-2) beat Skidmore 6-3 to secure their spot in the title game. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
Tickets for Saturday's game are $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 5-12. Children 5 and under are free. Students from any of the SUNYAC member schools are admitted free with a valid ID, including HWS students. Tickets will go on sale one hour before the opening faceoff. Arrive early, they will go fast.