UTICA, NY – The Utica College men’s hockey team lost a heartbreaker in overtime to ECAC West rival Hobart College 3-2 on Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Hobart’s Jon Neal snuck in the game-winner 2:39 into the overtime period to lift the Statesmen past the Pioneers.
The last seven meetings between these two teams have now been decided by one goal or less and four of those meetings have advanced to overtime, including Friday night. The Pioneers dropped to 10-7-4 overall and 3-6-2 in the ECAC West. Hobart has now won nine of their last 11 games as their record moved to 15-6 overall. The Statesmen now sit alone atop the ECAC West standings with 16 points and an 8-3 record in conference play.
Utica rallied from a 2-1 deficit to knot the score at 2-2 midway through the third period. Sophomore forward Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) scored his fourth goal of the season on the power-play to tie the score and eventually send it to overtime. The goal was initially waved off by the officials, but after a conference at center ice the officials allowed the tipped goal, and the score was tied at 2-2. Freshman classmates Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) were each credited with an assist on the equalizer.
Utica opened the scoring on the afternoon when Justin Hogan (Val Therese, Ontario/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) scored on the power-play midway through the first period of play. Hogan’s third goal of the season gave UC a 1-0 lead 10:57 into the contest and it was assisted by freshman line mates Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) and senior Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)).
Hobart tied the game up at 1-1 at the 15:21 mark of the second period when Brad Robbins took advantage of a break away and beat Utica goalie Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)) top shelf to light the lamp.
Hobart took the 2-1 lead at the 6:15 mark of the third period when Robbins netted his second goal of the evening and sixth of the season off assists from Carl Belizario and Bronson Kovacs. 3:27 later Powers tied the score at 2-2 for the Pioneers with his fourth goal of the season.
In the overtime period Tommaso Traversa took the puck into the Pioneer zone and around the back of the net before shoveling a pass out front and it was tipped in by Neal at 2:39 to hand the Statesmen their 15th victory of the season.
Utica outshot the visitors 34-31 on the afternoon. The Pioneers went 2-for-3 on the power-play, while Hobart went 1-for-2 with a man-advantage.
Wells finished the evening with 28 saves in net for the Pioneers. Hobart freshman goalie Frank Oplinger stopped 32 shots to pick up his fourth straight win and his record moved to 8-2 overall on the season.
The two teams turn right back around to complete the season series at The Aud on Saturday night for another ECAC West battle. It is Live United Night at The Aud and the puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.
