GENEVA, N.Y.—The top-seeded Hobart College hockey team earned its second straight ECAC West tournament title with a 5-0 victory over No. 3 seed Utica in the championship game played tonight in front of a sellout crowd at The Cooler. It’s the Statesmen’s fourth ECAC West tournament title in program history.
Hobart is now 21-4-2 this season, tying the program record for wins in a season. The Statesmen posted 21 wins last year and in the 2008-09 season. Tonight’s win was also the 250th career victory for Hobart Head Coach Mark Taylor. The Pioneers end their season with a 14-10-4 overall record.
Senior Brad Robbins (Murrieta, Calif.) led Hobart with two goals in the win. He earned a spot on the all-tournament team and was selected the Most Outstanding Player. Junior Bobby Sokol (Belle Vernon, Pa.) added a goal and an assist. Senior goalie Lino Chimienti (Montreal, Quebec) stopped all 30 shots he faced to secure the shutout. It was his first shutout of the season and third of his career, which ties him for fourth on the Statesmen’s career shutout list. Sokol and Chimienti as well as first-year Tanner Shaw (Toronto, Ontario) joined Robbins on the all-tournament team. Utica was represented by Anthony McVeigh and Nick Miglio.
Hobart took a 3-0 lead in the first scoring three goals in the final 2:26. Robbins scored first. He capitalized on a faceoff win by classmate Ben Gamache (Longlac, Ontario) to score from right out in front. Robbins struck again 21 seconds later. This time senior Mac Olson set up the play. He fired a shot on goal, collected his own rebound and sent a no-look, behind the back pass from behind the goal to find Robbins. Robbins leads Hobart with 19 goals this season.
With 1:26 left in the period, Sokol found the back of the net on a shot through traffic from right out in front. Junior Nick Bingaman (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) was credited with the assist.
Sophomore Vincent Russo (Jackson, N.J.) extended Hobart’s lead to 4-0 with his fourth goal of the season 8:39 into the second period. Sokol set up the play. Sophomore Andrew Silard (Greenwich, Conn.) notched his fifth goal of the year at 12:06 into the third after passes from first-year Cam Shaheen (North Andover, Mass.) and senior Jon Neal (Encinitas, Calif.).
Utica’s Michael Fredrick made 32 saves in all 60 minutes. The Statesmen finished with a 37-30 advantage in sthots. Hobart went 0-for-2 on the power play, and killed all three of Utica’s power-play attempts.
The Statesmen, the No. 1 team in the East Region and No. 5 team in both the USCHO.com poll and the D3hockey.com poll, will now wait to hear the if they receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. The NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey selection show will air on NCAA.com on Monday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m.
2016 All-Tournament Team
Brad Robbins, Hobart
Bobby Sokol, Hobart
Tanner Shaw, Hobart
Anthony McVeigh, Utica
Nick Miglio, Utica
Lino Chimienti, Hobart
