HWS News
7 March 2025 • Athletics #1 Hobart hosts NEHC Championship Weekend By Mackenzie Larsen '12
The top-ranked Hobart hockey team will host the 2025 New England Hockey Conference Championship at The Cooler this weekend, March 8-9. The Statesmen, who are the top seed in the tournament will take on New England College, the No. 6 seed, in the first semifinal at 3 p.m.
No. 2 seed Norwich, which is receiving votes in the latest USCHO.com poll, will take on No. 4 seed Skidmore in the second semifinal at 7 p.m. The winners will meet on Sunday at 3 p.m. to decide the conference champion and automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.
Admission to The Cooler is $5 each day. All Hobart and William Smith students, faculty and staff, youth hockey players and Geneva High School students will be admitted free. There will be no advanced ticket sales and doors will open one hour prior to the game.
Fans who cannot make the trip to Geneva can follow all the action with Live Stats and HWS All-Access. The Hobart games will be broadcast on WHWS-FM (105.7 in Geneva).
Hobart, which is ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Poll for the 27th straight time, advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Albertus Magnus last Saturday night. The Statesmen earned the right to host the semifinals and finals, winning the NEHC regular season title. Hobart is 24-1-1 overall this season.
New England College advanced to Saturday's semifinals with a 2-0 upset win over No. 3 seed Babson. Anthony Beaulieu stopped all 31 shots he faced for the shutout. The Pilgrims are 11-14-1 overall.
Hobart swept NEC Feb. 14-15, winning the games by a combined score of 9-1.
Norwich enters the weekend winners of four of their last five games. The Cadets beat No. 7 seed Elmira 3-2 last Saturday. Clark Kerner and Bryan O'Mara had a goal and an assist each in the win. Norwich is 14-9-3 overall on the year.
Skidmore needed overtime to knock off No. 5 seed Salve Regina 4-3. Cooper Rice scored the game-winning goal at the 7:49 mark of the overtime session. The Thoroughbreds are 14-12-0 this season.
Norwich and Skidmore split the regular season finale. The Thoroughbreds took Game 1 5-3 and the Cadets took Game 2 4-2.
