The Hobart College ice hockey team is ranked sixth in the nation in the USCHO.com preseason poll. The Statesmen open the 2018-19 season on Friday, Oct. 26, with a non-league game at Elmira at 7 p.m. The Soaring Eagles are receiving votes in the preseason poll.
Hobart finished the 2017-18 season with an 18-6-5 overall record and a 12-3-3 record in the NEHC. The Statesmen captured the NEHC tournament title, their fourth consecutive conference crown, and made the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in a row and eighth time in program history.
Hobart returns 21 players from last season’s squad, including its top five point scorers. Senior forward Jonas Toupal led the team in ’17-18 with 32 points (15g, 17a). Junior Lawson MacDougall led the team with 20 assists last season and was second with 25 points. Junior Alexander Connal is back between the pipes for the Statesmen. He was 9-3-2 last year with a 1.69 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Including Elmira, Hobart’s 2018-19 slate features seven teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll. The Statesmen are scheduled to play No. 8 University of New England (Dec. 29), No. 10 Oswego (Nov. 10), and No. 13 Norwich (Nov. 3/Jan. 11). The Statesmen will also play Babson, UMass Boston, and New England College twice as part of NEHC play. All three teams are receiving votes.
Following Friday’s game in Pine Valley, N.Y., Hobart will host the Soaring Eagles at the Cooler in its home opener. Fans unable to make the game can follow the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video. The game will also be broadcast live on WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).
