Correct me if I am wrong, but, last year didn't Hobart still get a split with Elmira with basically a skeleton crew??? Weren't some Hobart players and the coach off at some international tournament during this back to back last year??? Assuming everybody is home this time around.
Looks like teams (Elmira and Norwich) chasing Hobart left winnable points on the table last weekend. With that done with, about the only ways Hobart can now blow the regular season title is to either get swept by Elmira or lose at home to Skidmore. Neither seems all that probable.
This machine appears to now really be humming. Granted, hockey essentials like speed and quickness can only really be judged in person and not by a webcast or even television. That is why I really wanted to see these guys in person when they were at Skidmore a couple weeks ago. "Unfortunately" (not really) a relatives dinner invitation got in the way.
Nonetheless and based on what I have seen remotely, I am not 100% convinced that on a given night and with a very hot goaltender Hobart would not be extremely competitive with even the 18 full scholarships that play 4 miles from my house. Having a hard time seeing how any D3 team can do a whole lot with these guys when the bright lights get turned on from mid February to mid March.
Tony/troy, you are correct about the mid-season interruption last year:
LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—The United States men's hockey team led by Hobart College Hockey Head Coach
Mark Taylorclaimed a silver medal at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter World University Games. Joining Coach Taylor in the red, white and blue for the tournament were forward
Luke Aquaro, defenseman
Cooper Swift and Associate Athletic Trainer
Mary Beth Schram.
The United States, which entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, went 5-2-0 on their way to winning silver medals. The Americans won Group B with a 4-1-0 mark, collecting wins over Great Britain (18-0), Korea (8-0), Kazakhstan (4-1) and Hungary (9-1). On Saturday afternoon, the United States defeated Group A runner-up Japan 4-3 in overtime to secure a spot in the gold medal game. This afternoon, No. 1 seed Canada, which had seven NHL draft picks on its roster, claimed the gold medal with a 7-2 victory.
Aquaro led the United States with 11 points on six goals and five assists. He was tied for second in the tournament in goals and third in points. Aquaro finished the games with a plus-14 rating while averaging 16:57 time on ice. He had a hat trick in the group game against Hungary. Swift had an assist and was plus-11 while averaging 17:13 time on ice.
This year, for the first time, the United States International University Student Federation fielded a team comprised entirely of the top Division III teams from across the country. Twenty-three players from eight conferences made up the United States team. The silver medal was the United States' best finish at the World University games. The Americans won a bronze medal in 1972, also in Lake Placid, but there were only three teams at those games.
Hobart knows they have a very special coach that has been attracting some of the best talent in D3 hockey. Watching the Freshman and Sophmores contribute at a high level and recruiting their eventual replacements hopefully keeps Mark excited about staying at Hobart for another decade. Last year his Coaching position was gifted by one of his ex players in Coach Taylor's name. He recruits real student athletes that just recorded a team average 3.74 GPA while continuing a home winning steak at the Cooler over 2 seasons. They may not be future NHL players but will be successful at whatever career they choose. Hopefully they will honor him with The Taylor Rink one day while keeping the spirit of the Cooler.
