Hobart College senior Brad McBride (Lone Tree, Colo.) scored 1:34 into overtime to secure a 5-4 ECAC West win for the Statesmen over Utica this afternoon in The Cooler. With their third straight victory, Hobart improves to 4-2-0 overall and 3-1-0 in conference play.
The Statesmen led 3-1 midway through the second period, but the Pioneers (1-3-1, 0-3-1 ECACW) rallied with three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead into the third period. SeniorTommaso Traversa (Torino, Italy) tied the game up at 4-4 at 11:41 into the third, and McBride notched the game-winner in overtime.
Traversa led Hobart with two goals and an assist. Senior Peter Ryan (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), junior Ben Gamache (Longlac, Ontario) and junior Mac Olson (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) each added two assists apiece for the Statesmen. First-year goalie Frank Oplinger (Sewickley, Pa.)played all 61:34 in goal for Hobart and made 28 saves to earn his third win this season. Kevin Valenti led Utica with a goal and an assist. Mike Taffe played the entire game in goal for the Pioneers and finished with 35 saves.
Traversa produced his first goal of the afternoon just 38 seconds into the contest. He found the back of the net after a feed from Ryan.
The Pioneers notched the first goal of the six-goal second period. Kevin Valenti took advantage of a power play to score off passes from Jide Idowu and Louie Educate at 8:02 in. At 11:32, it was senior Bo Webster’s (Aurora, Ontario) turn to capitalize on a power play for Hobart. It was his team-leading fourth goal of the season and came off assists from Gamache and Ryan. Just 1:24 later, senior Robert Sovik (Prague, Czech Republic) gave the Statesmen a 3-1 lead on his fourth goal of the year. Traversa and Olson set up the scoring play.
Utica then took control of the remainder of the second period scoring three straight goals to go up 4-3. At 14:12, Luc Boby scored off passes from Joe Wetmore and Nick Miglio. Then 1:12later Kevin Kiristis tied things up. Brett Szajner and Kevin Valenti earned the assists. With 2:10left in the second, Dalton Carter used a power-play goal to put the Pioneers on top. Kyle Lajeunesse and Justin Hogan were credited with the assists.
Traversa came up big for Hobart with the lone third period goal to tie up the game and eventually send it to overtime. With 8:09 left in the period, he chipped in his third goal of the year off a feed from Olson. With just under two minutes left in regulation, Kiristis came inches away from getting the game-winner for Utica. He rang a shot from the top of the right circle off the crossbar.
The Statesmen headed into overtime on a power play that carried over from the final minutes of regulation. Just 1:34 in, McBride was able to slide a shot past the Pioneer goalie to give the Statesmen the victory. Gamache earned the assist.
Hobart went 2-for-8 on the power play, while Utica finished 2-for-5. The Statesmen held a 40-32 advantage in shots.
Hobart will be back in action on Friday, Nov. 21, when it hosts Elmira for another ECAC West game at The Cooler at 7:30 p.m.
Goals by Period 1 2 3 OT Total
Utica 0 4 0 0 4
Hobart 1 2 1 1 5
1st period – 1, HOB, Tommaso Traversa/2 (Peter Ryan) :38. Penalties
– Alex Brissette, UTI (hooking) 2:40; Tommaso Traversa, HOB (slashing)
7:20; Kevin Kirisits, UTI (slashing) 18:33.
2nd period – 2, UTI, Kevin Valenti/1 (Jide Idowu, Louie Educate)
8:02 (pp). 3, HOB, Bo Webster/4 (Ben Gamache, Peter Ryan) 11:32 (pp).
4, HOB, Robert Sovik/3 (Tommaso Traversa, Mac Olson) 12:56. 5, UTI,
Luc Boby/1 (Joel Wetmore, Nick Miglio) 14:12. 6, UTI, Kevin Kirisits/1
(Brett Szajner, Kevin Valenti) 15:24. 7, UTI, Dalton Carter/3 (Kyle
Lajeunesse, Justin Hogan) 17:50 (pp). Penalties – Connor Simon, HOB
(delay of game) 2:12; Andrew Silard, HOB (facemasking) 7:51; Jide
Idowu, UTI (unsportsmanlike conduct) 8:02; Kyle Lajeunesse, UTI
(slashing) 10:48; Bronson Kovacs, HOB (holding) 17:08.
3rd period – 8, HOB, Tommaso Traversa/3 (Mac Olson) 11:41.
Penalties – Nick Miglio, UTI (boarding) :21; Bronson Kovacs, HOB
(delay of game) 1:16; Kevin Kirisits, UTI (roughing) 7:01; Jide Idowu,
UTI (cross-checking) 8:26; Peter LaFosse, UTI (delay of game) 19:44.
OT period – 9, HOB, Brad McBride/3 (Ben Gamache) 1:34 (pp).
Penalties –
Shots on goal – UTI 12-12-8-0 32; HOB 10-12-15-3 40.
Power plays – UTI 2 of 5; HOB 2 of 8.
Penalties – UTI 8 (16 min); HOB 5 (10 min).
Goalies – UTI, Mike Taffe (61:34 minutes, 40 shots-35 saves); HOB,
Frank Oplinger (61:34, 32-28).
Penalty shots – None.
A-150 T-2:17
Three stars: 1. None 2. None 3. None
Ref: Peter Feola; Jim Visconte Line: Rick Lembo; Jordan Patarino
Win-Frank Oplinger. Loss-Mike Taffe.
