Two members of the Hobart College ice hockey team were honored by the ECAC West this week. In addition, the Statesmen moved up to No. 3 in the D3hockey.com poll and No. 5 in the USHCO.com poll.
Senior forward Nick Bingaman (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) was tabbed the conference’s Player of the Week, and junior goaltender Frank Oplinger (Sewickley, Pa.) was named the Goalie of the Week.
Bingaman was named the Player of the Week for the second time this season. He led Hobart with six points in a 3-0-0 week. Bingaman assisted on all three goals in a 3-2 victory over then No. 4 Geneseo. Bingaman registered a goal and an assist in a 7-3 win over Lebanon Valley, and scored 26 seconds in to a 3-2 OT win over Stevenson.
Bingaman leads Hobart with 14 goals and 20 points this season. He ranks second in the ECAC West in goals and is tied for 11th in points. Bingaman is tied for 15th in the nation in goals per game (0.74).
It’s the second time this season Oplinger has received this award and the third time this year that it has gone to a Statesman. Oplinger started two games for Hobart last week and posted a 1.99 goals against average, 67 saves and a .944 save percentage. He turned aside 38 shots against the Knights and made 29 saves against the Mustangs. Oplinger is 5-2-1 in goal this season.
The Statesmen are now 14-2-3 overall and 6-2-0 in the ECAC West. Hobart is riding an 11-game unbeaten streak that began on Nov. 28. The Statesmen rank sixth in the nation on the penalty kill (88.5 percent). In addition, Hobart is tied for 16th in Division III in scoring defense (2.37 ga/gm) and 18th in scoring offense (3.84 g/gm).
The Statesmen will be back in action this weekend when they play at Nazareth on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m., and at Utica on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
