The No. 5 Hobart College hockey team built a 4-0 lead in the first period and went on to defeat Lebanon Valley 6-2 in the ECAC West opener for both teams tonight in Hershey, Pa. The Statesmen improve to 2-0-1 this season.
It’s the first time the Statesmen and the Dutchmen have played since 2010, and it’s the first year in the ECAC West for Lebanon Valley.
First-year Zach Sternbach (Loudonville, N.Y.) notched three points on two goals and an assist and sophomore Brandon Bistodeau (Rogers, Minn.) added a goal and two assists to lead the Statesmen. Senior Nick Bingaman (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) notched two goals. Senior Tim Keegan (Lexington, Mass.) played all 60 minutes in goal and made a career-high 22 saves.
Bingaman started the scoring just 1:34 into the game. Sophomore Tanner Shaw (Toronto, Ontario) and senior Bobby Sokol (Belle Vernon, Pa.) earned the assists. Just under two minutes later, Bistodeau scored his first goal of the game. With 1:45 left in the first Sternbach scored his first collegiate goal. Bistodeau and first-year Lawson MacDougall (Williamstown, Ontario) were credited with assists. Just 34 seconds later, Sternbach struck again. This time Bistodeau and senior Carl Belizario (Dorval, Quebec) set up the play.
Travis Hall put the Dutchmen on the board 9:42 into the second period after a pass from Mike Straub. Senior Jon Neal (Encinitas, Calif.) extended the Hobart lead to 5-1 after a pass from Sternbach 4:10 into the third. Bingaman registered his second goal of the night, a shorthanded tally at 11:37. With 1:09 left in the game Nick Skerlick found the back of the net for Lebanon Valley. Joey LaBonte and Brennan Thompson logged the assists.
Brenden Manquen played all 60 minutes in goal for the Dutchmen. He made 35 saves. The Statesmen finished with a 41-24 lead in shots. Hobart went 0-for-5 on the power play, and killed off all six of the Dutchmen’s power-play attempts.
The Statesmen are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 5, when they play another ECAC West game at Stevenson at 7 p.m.
