The Hobart College ice hockey team was one of 12 teams selected to compete in the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The Statesmen will host Plymouth State on Saturday, March 9 at 7 p.m., in The Cooler.
Tickets will be $6 for adults, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children ages 3-11. Children 2 and under get in free. Students, faculty and staff with a valid HWS ID will be admitted free courtesy of student activities. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m.
Eight teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship, while four others were awarded at-large selections.
The Statesmen (19-7-2) earned an at-large bid for what will be their ninth overall and fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Statesmen were edged by Norwich 2-1 in the NEHC Championship game on Saturday. The Statesmen are 3-8 all-time in the NCAA tournament, reaching the semifinals in 2006 and 2009.
Senior Jonas Toupal and first-year Zach Tyson share the team lead with 26 points each. Topual has 12 goals and 14 assists and Tyson has a team best 20 assists and six goals. Sophomore Travis Schneider has recorded a team best 14 goals. First-year Liam Lascelle and junior Alexander Connal have split time in goal this season. Lascelle is 8-2-2 with a 1.67 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. Lascelle is seventh in the nation in save percentage and 10th in GAA.
Plymouth State brings a 17-7-3 overall record to Geneva. The Panthers earned an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, capturing the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title with a 3-0 win over Salem State. This will be Plymouth State’s third NCAA tournament appearance. The Panthers are 0-2 in their previous trips to the tournament. Michael Covach leads the team with 40 points on 12 goals and a team best 28 assists. Matt Volonnino is right behind him with 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points. Evan Morelli has played the majority of the minutes in goal. He is 15-6-3 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.30 GAA.
Fans unable to make it to The Cooler can follow all of the action online with Live Stats and All-Access Video. The game will also be broadcast live on WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).
