UTICA, N.Y.—The top-ranked Hobart Hockey team was edged by sixth-ranked Hamilton 2-1 in overtime in a hard-fought national championship game at Utica's Adirondack Bank Center this afternoon.
 
The Statesmen, who were making their fourth consecutive trip to the national championship game, finished their season with a 30-1-0 overall record.
 
The Continentals, who won their first national championship, finish the season with a 23-5-2 record.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hobart finished the game with a 40-25 advantage in shots on goal, including an 8-4 edge in the overtime session.
• The Statesmen were 1-for-1 on the power play and Hamilton was 0-for-1 with the man advantage.

 
THE WINNER

• Curtiss Sturgeon scored the game-winning goal 16:44 into the overtime session.  Luke Tchor caught Hobart in a line change, fed a cross-ice pass to Sturgeon, who ripped a shot past Beaver for his second goal of the season. Zach Walsh also had an assist on the goal.

 
MATCH MOMENTS

• Senior captain Kahlil Fontana opened the scoring for the Statesmen at the 8:39 mark of the first period. He picked up a rebound in the slot and flipped a shot past the Hamilton goalie. His 21st goal of the season was a power-play goal.  Junior defensemen Conor Lally and Bauer Morrissey had assists on the goal.
• Following the goal, the Statesmen continued to pile on the pressure in the opening period, but Hamilton goalie Aksel Reid was up to the task, making 11 saves in the opening frame.
• Hamilton tied the game 15 seconds into the second period. Tchor cut across the low slot, screened Beaver's view of Noah Leibel's shot, and redirected the shot into the back of the net. It was Tchor's 18th goal of the season.
• After the goal, the Statesmen controlled the second period, finishing with a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. Reid was up to the task as he made several highlight reel saves in the stanza.
• Lally had an opportunity to give Hobart a 2-1 lead early in the third period, but he fired a shot from the low slot off the right goal post.
• Hamilton outshot Hobart 13-10 in the third period. Damon Beaver was up to the task in the stanza, making several key stops to help force the extra session.  He made a skate save on a shot from Sturgeon with just under three minutes remaining in regulation that kept the game tied 1-1.
• In overtime, Hobart had the territorial edge, but Reid showed why he would earn tournament most outstanding player honors, stopping all eight Hobart shots in OT.
• Senior Dominic Schimizzi had one of Hobart's best chances in the frame, but his shot from a tight angle was smothered by the goalie. He then flipped the rebound just wide.
• Junior Chris Duclair had a chance to send the Hobart fans home happy, but his shot from the low slot was tipped just over the crossbar.
• Lally and sophomore Arvega Hovsepyan also had scoring chances turned aside by the Hamilton goalie.

 
SENIOR SALUTE

• Hobart's senior class of Ignat Belov, Damon Beaver, Tanner Daniels, Tristan Fasig, Kahlil Fontana, Mavrick Goyer, Dominic Schimizzi and Hockey Operations Assistant Joel Stoneham, will go down as the winningest class in program history. The Class of 2026 finishes their careers with a 116-6-2 overall record.
• The senior class won three national championships, three New England Hockey Conference tournament titles, one SUNYAC title and made four appearances in the national title game. Belov, Beaver, Daniels, Fasig, Fontana, Goyer and Schimizzi went a perfect 68-0-0 in their four seasons in Geneva.
• Daniels set the program record for most career games played when he took to the ice tonight. It was his 119th game. Fontana played in his 116th game third most. Belov (115) and Fasig (113) moved up to fourth and seventh, respectively, on Hobart's career games played list.
• Goalies. Beaver (73) and Goyer (39) finish their careers first and fifth on Hobart's career wins list.

 
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Following the game, Fontana and Lally were named to the all-tournament team.