Geneva, NY — The Utica College men’s hockey team lost to top seeded and nationally-ranked No. 5 Hobart College 5-0 in the ECAC Men’s West Hockey Tournament Championship Game on the road Saturday night at the Geneva Recreation Complex.
The Pioneers, making their fourth conference tournament championship game appearance in the 15 year history of the program, closed out their season with a 14-10-4 overall record. Hobart, which won its second consecutive conference tournament title, improved to 21-4-2 overall and is in a favorable position to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Utica sophomore Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) and senior Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)) earned ECAC West All-Tournament team honors. McVeigh finished the three game tournament with two goals and one assist while Miglio registered a team best two goals and two assists in his final three collegiate games. McVeigh finished his second season as the team’s leading scorer with 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists.
Hobart exploded with three goals in 60 seconds towards the end of the first period to take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Brad Robbins got the Statesmen on the board first at the 17:44 marker of the first period when he netted his 18th goal of the season. Just 39 seconds later Robbins gave the home team a 2-0 lead when he scored again off assists from Mac Olson and Vincent Russo. Then just 21 seconds later Bobby Sokol added his eighth goal of the year to give Hobart a 3-0 lead with 1:16 left in the first period.
UC outshot the Statesmen 16-10 in the second period, but the offensive pressure was not enough, as Hobart found the back of the net midway through the second period to take a 4-0 advantage.
Andrew Silard then added an insurance goal in the third period at the 12:06 marker to secure the ECAC West title for the Statesmen.
Utica freshman goalie Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) made 32 saves on the night and finished his first year in the blue and orange with a school-record 792 saves in 27 games played. Hobart senior goalie Lino Chimienti made 30 saves in his first shutout of the season.
The Pioneers will graduate just three seniors from their current roster, including Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)), Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)) and Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)). They return 25 student-athletes to their 2016-17 roster and will look forward to playing host to the NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Tournament Frozen Four at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Seven of the Pioneers top nine scorers this season were either freshman or sophomores.
Hobart out shot Utica 37-30 on the day and the two teams combined for an 0-for-5 effort on the power-play.
