The Hobart College hockey team was voted to finish second in New England Hockey Conference preseason poll as announced by the conference office this morning. It is Hobart’s first year in the NEHC.
“Norwich is the defending national champion, and they don’t need a poll to know teams will be gunning for them. We are the new kids in the conference, and it is now obvious that we have a target on our backs as well,” said Hobart Head Hockey Coach Mark Taylor. “Our returning guys know this feeling. The yoke is now on their shoulders, they want it there and they’ve already started pulling. For the newcomers, they wanted to play for a program that was competitive and successful. They expected to compete and, to achieve success, they are going to have to face some strong competitors.”
Norwich received 58 points and six first place votes in the poll. Hobart was second with 49 points. Last year’s runner-up in the NEHC, New England College, came in third with 45 points and two first place votes. Babson College (42 points), University of Massachusetts Boston (37 points), Skidmore College (29 points), Castleton University (19 points) and University of Southern Maine (9 points) rounded out the poll.
Last season, Hobart captured its third straight ECAC West tournament title and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row and seventh time in program history. The Statesmen finished the year with a 20-5-4 overall record and a 9-4-1 mark in the ECAC West. It was Hobart’s third straight 20-win season and 15th consecutive winning season. The Statesmen finished the year ranked ninth in the final D3hockey.com poll and 10th in the final USCHO.com poll.
Hobart’s 2017-18 roster features 17 returners and 12 newcomers. Three of Hobart’s top five scorers from last year return in junior Jonas Toupal (12 goals, 11 assists), junior Tanner Shaw (2g, 19a) and sophomore Zach Sternbach (9 g, 10a). Senior Frank Oplinger and sophomore Alexander Connal are back in goal. Oplinger posted a 2.43 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and an 11-5-2 record, while Connal had a 1.83 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and a 7-0-2 record last winter.
The Statesmen open 2017-18 with a non-league game at Elmira on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Hobart has its home opener on Sunday, Oct. 29 when it hosts Oswego at 4 p.m. in The Cooler. The Statesmen begin NEHC play on Friday, Nov. 3, when they travel to take on the University of Southern Maine at 7 p.m.
