The Hobart College hockey team learned this morning that it will be one of 11 teams to competing in the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The Statesmen will host Oswego for its first round game on Saturday, March 14, in The Cooler at 7:30 p.m..
Tickets for the game will be $6 for adults, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children under 12. Children two years old and under are admitted free. Fans unable to make it to The Cooler can follow the action online Live Stats and All-Access Video. The game will also be broadcast live on WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).
Seven teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship, while four others were awarded at-large selections. The Statesmen earned an at-large bid for what will be their fifth NCAA tournament appearance. Hobart is 21-6-0 this season and is 3-4 all-time in the NCAA tournament, reaching the semifinals in 2006 and 2009. The Statesmen earned the ECAC West Tournament title for the third time in program history on Saturday night, when they topped Neumann 2-1 in overtime. Hobart has won its last 10 games.
Senior Bo Webster (Aurora, Ontario) leads the Statesmen with 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists. Senior Brad McBride (Lone Tree, Colo.) has notched a team-high 13 goals and added nine assists for 22 points. First-year Frank Oplinger (Sewickley, Pa.) has played the majority of minutes in goal. He’s sporting a 1.85 goals against average, a .939 save percentage and a 14-2-0 record in goal.
Also an at-large pick, Oswego brings an 18-4-4 overall record to The Cooler. The teams met during the regular season on Jan. 9 and the Lakers came out on top 5-4. Shawn Hulshof leads Oswego with 40 points on 19 goals and 21 assists. Alex Botten has posted a team-high 26 assists and adds nine goals for 35 points. Matt Zawadski has played the majority of minutes in goal and is sporting a 2.08 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and an 11-3-2 record in goal.
