STEVENS POINT, Wisc.-The No. 7/8 Hobart College hockey team was edged by top-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 5-3 in a national semifinal at KB Willett Arena this evening. The Statesmen conclude the 2018-19 season with an overall record of 21-8-2 overall.
Sophomore Travis Schneider (1g, 1a) and first-year Aaron Maguyon (2a) each had a pair of points for Hobart. Junior Alexander Connal made 30 saves in goal for Hobart. Tanner Karty had a game-high three points on a goal and two assists for UW-Stevens Point (28-0-2). Connor Ryckman made 23 saves in the Pointers goal.
The Pointers jumped out to a 1-0 lead, firing four shots on goal in the first minute of the game. UW-Stevens Point opened the scoring 46 seconds into the first period when Luke McElhenie banked home a rebound for his 10th goal of the season. Ryan MacKellar and Danny Kiraly were credited with assists on the goal.
The Statesmen tied the game at one at the 10:14 mark of the period. First-year Blake Coffey fired a shot from point that fluttered past Connor Ryckman. The unassisted goal was Coffey’s third goal of the season.
UW-Stevens Point took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission when Zach Zech tipped home a rebound from the right goal post. Tanner Karty and Ryan Bittner were credited with assists on the goal. Bittner’s shot from the point was stopped by Connal. Zech jumped on the rebound and slid it across the goal line. The goal was Zech’s 10th of the season.
Stevens Point took a 3-1 lead 9:06 into the third period when Colin Raver wristed a shot into the upper left corner of the goal. The Pointers took advantage of a Hobart line change. Karty fired a cross ice pass to Raver, who deked around a defender and flipped a shot from the left faceoff circle past Connal. Raver’s 13th goal of the season was assisted by Karty and Danny Kiraly.
Hobart made it a one goal game at the 13:38 mark of the second period. Travis Schneider wristed a shot from the left faceoff circle into the back of the net for his team-leading 16th goal of the season. First-year Aaron Maguyon and senior Jack Macnee were credited with assists on the power-play goal. First-year Zach Tyson tied the game at three less than a minute later when he beat Ryckman for his seventh goal of the season. He one-timed a shot from the slot past Ryckman. Maguyon and Schneider were credited with assists on the goal.
Thirty-nine seconds later, UW-Stevens Point regained a one goal lead. Tanner Kartly blasted a shot from a tight angle past Connal for his 12th goal of the season.
The teams traded opportunities in the third period but goalies were up to the task. With 14:05 left in regulation Connal made a spectacular glove save to keep it a one-goal game. Just over a minute later, Ryckman made a glove save of his own to rob Schneider of his second goal of the game.
UW-Stevens Point sealed the game with an empty-net goal. Austin Kelly fired a shot from the offensive blue line into the empty cage.
Stevens Point finished the game with a 35-26 edge in shots on goal. The Statesmen were perfect on special teams they were 2-for-2 on the power play and killed off the one penalty called against them.
The Hobart Class of 2019 finished their careers with a four-year record of 80-24-13. Jack Macnee, Tanner Shaw Cam Shaheen, Jonas Toupal, Matt Pizzo, and Brandon Bistodeau’s 80 wins match the program record for wins by a senior class set by the Class of 2018.
