The No. 8/10 Hobart College hockey team opened its inaugural season in the New England Hockey Conference with an 8-1 win over the University of Southern Maine. The Statesmen improve to 2-1-0 this season.
It was the season opener for the Huskies (0-1-0). The eight goals were the most scored in a game by the Statesmen defeating Neumann 8-4 last season on Nov. 12, 2016. It’ most goals scored by Hobart in a conference opener since beating Neumann 10-1 in 2002.
Fourteen different Statesmen earned at least a point in the win. Senior Jordan Haskell had a team-high two goals. Junior Cam Shaheen, sophomore Lawson MacDougall, sophomore Zach Sternbach and first-year Mike Faulkner each posted a goal and an assist. First-year Will Harrison chipped in two assists. Senior Frank Oplinger made 15 saves in goal for the Statesmen. He improved to 1-1-0 in goal this year.
Hobart jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Junior Matt Pizzo opened the scoring 6:00 into the game, capitalizing on a power play. Shaheen and Harrison earned the assists. Junior Jack Macnee made it 2-0 with 4:16 left in the first after passes from Sternbach and MacDougall, and Faulkner added his first collegiate goal with 2:53 left in the opening period.
Just 4:44 into the second period, Sternbach stretched Hobart’s advantage to 4-0. Juniors Jonas Toupal and Tanner Shaw were credited with the assists. Just under a minute later, Alex Pantalone put the Huskies on the scoreboard. Brendan Murphy and Parker Sanderson set up the play.
The Statesmen notched four more goals in the third period. Haskell logged his first of the night 1:14 into the final frame off an assist from first-year Alec Robitaille. Haskell struck again, this time on a power play, at 12:04. Faulkner and senior Ben Greiner recorded the assists. With 2:51 on the clock, MacDougall scored after a pass from first-year Travis Schneider and Shaheen capped the scoring with 1:17 remaining. Junior Brandon Bistodeau and Harrison tallied the assists.
Hobart finished with a 49-16 advantage in shots. The Statesmen went 2-for-5 on the power play. The Huskies did not have any power-play attempts. Paul Leger made 41 saves in all 60 minutes in goal for Southern Maine.
The Statesmen are back in action tomorrow, Nov. 4, when they travel to take on New England College in another NEHC game at 4:30 p.m.
