UTICA, N.Y.—The top-ranked Hobart Hockey team defeated seventh-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stout 4-2 in a national semifinal at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium this evening. With the win, the Statesmen are 30-0-0 this season and advance to the national championship game for the fourth-straight season.
 
Sophomore Arvega Hovsepyan led the way for Hobart, recording two points on a pair of assists. With his two assists, Hovsepyan now has 32 for the season, matching the Statesmen's single-season record. Four different Statesmen recorded a goal. Senior goalie Damon Beaver played all 60 minutes in goal and made 19 saves.
 
UW-Stout concludes its season with a 23-6-1 record. Hayden Stokes led the Blue Devils with two assists. Nicolas Pigeon and Arhip Sidarovich had the UW-Stout goals. Sebastian Monaco played just over 58 minutes in goal and made 36 saves.
 
STREAKING

• With tonight's victory, Hobart extended its winning streak to 36 games and their unbeaten streak to an NCAA record 43 games.
• It was Hobart's 11th straight win in the NCAA tournament.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hobart finished the game with a 40-21 advantage in shots on goal.
• The Statesmen were 0-for-4 on the power-play and UW-Stout was 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

 
FIRST PERIOD

• Hobart took a tripping penalty 17 seconds into the game and weathered the early storm as Beaver made four saves during the Blue Devils man advantage. Sophomore defenseman Nick Dimatos also had a blocked shot during the power play.
• After making the kill, junior defenseman Conor Lally snapped a shot on goal. He followed his own shot and poked the loose puck over the goal line. His 14th goal of the season was assisted by sophomore Arvega Hovsepyan and senior Kahlil Fontana.
• In the middle portion of the frame, it was UW-Stout's turn to go on the penalty kill. Monaco stood tall, stopping the next 10 shots he faced in the stanza, including eight on Hobart's three power plays.
• The Blue Devils tied the game with 1:43 left in the first period. Pigeon picked up a rebound in the slot and poked the shot past Beaver. Stocks had the assist on the goal.
• Hobart finished the frame with a 12-8 advantage in shots on goal.

 
SECOND PERIOD

• Hobart dominated the middle stanza, but Monaco was up to the task, making 15 saves.
• With 9:54 remaining in the frame, Stout's Evan Luxford hit a crossbar, and Beaver fell on the loose puck to prevent the Blue Devils from getting a second goal.
• Four minutes later, Hobart took a 2-1 lead at the 13:14. Following a heads up play in the defensive end by Connor Elliott, Hovsepyan sprung Tamas Toth on a breakaway. The sophomore forward slotted the shot under Monaco's glove for his seventh goal of the season.

 
THIRD PERIOD

• Early in the third period, Elliott had a chance from the point, but it was smothered by the Blue Devils' goalie.
• Junior Chris Duclair made it 3-1 at the 8:13 mark of the second period. He fired a shot through traffic past Monaco for his 13th goal of the season. Sophomore Calum Chau and first-year Adam Ondris had assists on the goal.
• Late in the third period, Stout was given a five-minute power play. The Blue Devils scored one minute into the man advantage. Sidarovich pounced on a rebound and pocketed his 11th goal of the season. The power-play goal was assisted by Noah Tyrrell and Stocks.
• The Blue Devils continued on the power play, but Beaver and Hobart's defense was up to the task.
• The Statesmen added an insurance goal with just over a minute remaining to ice the victory. Senior Ignat Belov had the empty net goal, his fifth of the season.

 
RECORD WATCH

• Senior captain Tanner Daniels played in his 118th career game today, matching the program record held by Austin Mourar '24, G' 25.
• Hovsepyan's 32 assists this season tie him with Eric Kisskalt, who had 32 assists during the 1996-97 season.
• With 73 career wins, Beaver is now fifth all-time in NCAA Division III.
• Hobart's 30 wins this season are the fifth most in a single-season in Division III history.