The top-seeded Hobart College hockey team will host No. 3 Utica for the ECAC West Tournament championship game on Saturday, March 5 in The Cooler at 7:30 p.m.
The Statesmen moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week’s USCHO.com poll. Hobart remained at No. 5 in the D3hockey.com poll after topping No. 4 seed Neumann 3-0 in its ECAC West semifinal game on Saturday to earn its spot in the championship. The Pioneers edged No. 2 seed Manhattanville 4-3 in overtime in Rye, N.Y., last Saturday.
Tickets to Saturday’s championship game are $5 for adults, $3 for students and children 12 and under. HWS students and staff will be admitted free with ID. There will be no advance sale tickets. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
The Statesmen (20-4-2) are the defending ECAC West tournament champions, defeating Neumann 2-1 in overtime last year in The Cooler for the title. Currently, Hobart ranks third in the nation on the penalty kill (90.3%), fifth in team win percentage (.808), seventh in scoring offense (4.08 g/gm), and seventh in scoring defense (1.92 ga/gm).
Senior forward Brad Robbins (Murrieta, Calif.) leads the team with 30 points and 17 goals. He’s tied for 14th in Division III with 0.65 goals per game. Senior Mac Olson (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) is right behind him with 26 points on 13 goals and 13 assists. Sophomore Frank Oplinger (Sewickley, Pa.) and senior Lino Chimienti (Montreal, Quebec) have split time in goal this season. Chimienti has played in 14 games and is sporting a 1.81 goals against average, a .943 save percentage and a 10-2-2 record. Oplinger has recorded a 1.81 goals against average, a .936 save percentage and a 10-2-0 record. Chimienti’s save percentage ranks fifth in the country, while Oplinger’s ranks 12th. Oplinger’s win percentage is tied for seventh in the nation (.833) and Chimienti’s is tied for 10th (.786).
Utica brings a 14-9-4 overall record to Geneva. Anthony McVeigh leads the team with 19 points on seven goals and 12 assists. Hayden Dawes is right behind him with 18 points on a team-high 10 goals and eight assists. Michael Fredrick has played the majority of minutes in goal and is sporting a 2.20 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and a 14-8-4 overall record.
Fans unable to make it to The Cooler can follow the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video.
