The Hobart College hockey team was picked to finish first in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) preseason poll after winning the conference’s tournament title the 2017-18. This is the Statesmen’s second year in the New England Hockey Conference.
Hobart received 96 points and seven first place votes in the poll. Last season’s regular season champions, Norwich, was tabbed to finish second with 88 total points, receiving two first place votes. UMass Boston falls in third place with 77 points. Babson College (70), New England College (58), Skidmore College (57), Castleton University (36), University of Southern Main (32), Suffolk University (24), Johnson & Wales University (12) round out the poll. The Thoroughbreds received the other first place vote.
Last season, Hobart captured its first NEHC tournament title and fourth consecutive conference championship, earning a bid into the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in row and eighth time in program history. The Statesmen finished their 2017-18 season with an 18-6-5 overall record and 12-3-3 mark in conference play. It was Hobart’s 16th consecutive winning season.
Hobart’s 2018-19 roster features 21 returners and 10 newcomers. All of Hobart’s top five scorers from last year return, including senior Jonas Toupal (15 goals,17 assists), junior Lawson MacDougall (5g, 20a), junior Zach Sternbach (13g, 8a), senior Tanner Shaw (3g,13a), and sophomore Mike Faulkner (4g,14a). Junior Alexander Connal returns to the crease after a 9-3-1 record last season. He had a 1.69 goals against average and .929 save percentage in 2017-18.
The Statesmen open the season with a non-league game at Elmira on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. Hobart will host the Soaring Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in The Cooler. The Statesmen begin NEHC play on Friday, November 2 at 7 p.m. when they travel to take on Castleton.
