UTICA, N.Y. — Two hungry ECAC West teams on top of their game met at the Utica Memorial Auditorium for the first of two games and the contest ended in dramatic fashion with Hobart’s John Neal netting the overtime winner for a 3-2 win over Utica.
Hobart (14-6-0) came into the weekend after an impressive home sweep of Neumann last weekend and currently sits atop the ECAC West. The Statesmen had won six of their last seven heading into tonight.
Utica (10-6-4) has picked it up drastically since the New Year, losing only one in their last eight, and earning all three of their ECAC West wins in the last five contests.
“Utica is a great team [and] we just had to keep going after them,” said Hobart coach Mark Taylor. “The guys have been playing well together, working hard, staying a bit more focused on how we have to do something rather than what has to get done. We’re playing well, we have to keep taking it up one more level.”
Halfway through overtime, Neal gathered the rebound after a Statesman rush and spun a turnaround shot along the ice from behind the net off of Utica goalie Dylan Wells’ skate and into the cage.
“Puck was on my backhand, sent it towards the front of the net, hit a few Utica guys, the puck found eyes and made its way in,” Neal said.
The game started with great action and chances at both ends. Wells seemed confident in the net to start the game, making some terrific Hobart opportunities look routine. At the other end, Statesmen netminder Frank Oplinger was equally up to the task, doing a fantastic job of controlling the puck and not allowing the Pioneers many rebound opportunities.
Just over the halfway mark of the period, on their first power-play opportunity, the Pioneers made Hobart pay. Louie Educate found Alex Brissette down low, who feathered a saucer pass over the sprawling Statesman defender to Justin Hogan, who deposited the puck far side past Oplinger for his third of the year.
Following the Brissette tally, the teams exchanged power-play chances, but both penalty kills limited the opposing chances.
“I thought we carried the play, had a great first period, came out fired up, came out hard,” said Utica coach Gary Heenan. “They clearly controlled the second, but I thought we carried the play again in the third. In the overtime, we let in an unlucky, fluky goal. I feel bad for our guys because they deserved better than that result.”
While the second period most certainly had its fair share of rushes for both sides, there was more offensive-zone possession and shots off the cycle than in the first. Utica possessed the puck well in Hobart’s end for a good portion of the second, but Hobart limited the Utica chances by keeping the Pioneers to the outside and clearing everything in front of Oplinger. While Hobart did not have as much o-zone pressure as Utica in the second, the Statesmen’s down-low pressure produced a number of shots and enabled some in-close scoring opportunities.
With just under five minutes remaining in the period, Utica defender Jide Idowu lost an edge after keeping a puck in at the blue line, which allowed for Brad Robbins to pick up the loose puck and have a breakaway the length of the ice. Robbins showed patience before roofing the puck short side for his fifth of the year, tying the game at one.
Utica started the third strong, but Oplinger found a way to get in front of all of the Pioneer shots in the first portion of the period.
On the first power-play opportunity of the period, Robbins found the back of the net again for Hobart on a one-timer from the top of the circle off assists from Carl Belizario and Bronson Kovacs. The tally put Hobart ahead with just over 13 minutes remaining.
On Utica’s first power play of the period, Kevin Valenti took a heavy wrist shot from the point near the end of the man-advantage that deflected off Easton Powers’ skate as he fought for position in front. While the “Aud” was going crazy, the ref was waving his arms. Following the “goal,” the refs met at center ice and debated for a few minutes, ultimately deciding that there was no distinct kicking motion and the goal was allowed, tying the game once again. The goal was Powers’ fourth on the year and Dalton Carter also picked up his tenth assist of the season on the tally as well.
The remainder of the third provided countless “on the edge of your seat moments” as both teams were fighting for the all-important “W” in conference play.
