GENEVA, N.Y.—The top-seeded Hobart College hockey team earned a spot in the ECAC West Tournament championship game with a 3-0 shutout of No. 4 seed Neumann in a semifinal game played tonight in The Cooler.
Sophomore goaltender Frank Oplinger (Sewickley, Pa.) stopped all 27 shots he faced to secure the shutout. First-year Tanner Shaw (Toronto, Ontario) added two goals in the win for the Statesmen. Hobart improves to 20-4-2, while the Knights finish their season with a 15-9-3 overall record.
Hobart will host No. 3 seed Utica in the tournament championship on Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Pioneers edged No. 2 Manhattanville 4-3 in overtime in their semifinal game tonight in Rye, N.Y.
Just 1:11 into the game, Shaw put Hobart on the board. He lifted his shot from the slot into the top left corner of the goal for his fourth tally this season. Classmate Brandon Bistodeau (Rogers, Minn.) earned the assist. The Statesmen came inches away from going up 2-0, when sophomore Andrew Silard (Greenwich, Conn.) broke through for a one-on-one with the Neumann goalie, Mitch Wiebe, but he clanged his shot off the crossbar with just over seven minutes left in the opening period. Wiebe also made an impressive kick save late in the period to keep it 1-0.
The second period proved scoreless. Hobart senior Mac Olson (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) rang a shot off the post with 10:13 on the clock and the Statesmen held a 24-8 advantage in shots in the period. With 2:14 remaining, the Knights’ Mike Davis fired a shot on goal from right in front for one of Neumann’s best scoring chances, but Oplinger denied the chance.
With 1:29 left in the third, senior Brad Robbins (Murrieta, Calif.) gave the Statesmen a 2-0 lead. The Knights were trying to pull Wiebe for the extra skater, but as he was headed to the bench he realized his team had turned the puck over. As he was scrambling back to the goal, Robbins fired his shot into the open net. He leads Hobart with 17 goals this season. The Knights were able to pull Wiebe with 1:02 left for an extra skater, but they were unable to capitalize. Instead, the Statesmen added an empty net goal. Sophomore Tyler Wolf (Napersville, Ill.) carried the puck into the zone, but dished to Shaw who notched the empty netter, his second goal of the day and fifth of the season.
Tonight’s shutout was Oplinger’s second of the season. His four career shutouts put him fourth on Hobart’s career list. Oplinger improved to 10-2-0 in goal this season.
The Statesmen finished 0-for-2 on the power play, and killed Neumann’s two power-play attempts. Hobart held a 48-27 advantage in shots. Wiebe finished with 45 saves in 59:11 in goal.
Goals by Period 1 2 3 Total
Neumann 0 0 0 0
Hobart 1 0 2 3
1st period – 1, HOB, Tanner Shaw/4 (Brandon Bistodeau) 1:11.
Penalties – Bobby Sokol, HOB (tripping) 6:41; Jon Low, NEU (boarding)
13:59.
2nd period – Penalties – Lauri Viitanen, NEU (interference) 15:16.
3rd period – 2, HOB, Brad Robbins/17 18:31. 3, HOB, Tanner Shaw/5
(Tyler Wolf) 19:47 (empty net). Penalties – Cam Shaheen, HOB (hooking)
14:05; Nick Perruccio, NEU (10-minute misconduct) 19:47.
Shots on goal – NEU 8-8-11 27; HOB 11-24-13 48.
Power plays – NEU 0 of 2; HOB 0 of 2.
Penalties – NEU 3 (14 min); HOB 2 (4 min).
Goalies – NEU, Mitch Wiebe (59:11 minutes, 47 shots-45 saves) ,
EMPTY NET (00:49, 0-0); HOB, Frank Oplinger (60:00, 27-27).
Penalty shots – None.
A-449 T-2:07
Three stars: 1. None 2. None 3. None
Referee:Dereck Sylvester; Jayson Selbert Linesman:Nicholas Schmitt
Win-Frank Oplinger. Loss-Mitch Wiebe.
