After two phenomenal semifinal games, the final stage is set, as two amazing teams are left standing. While the David v. Goliath narrative is present, make no doubt about it: both these teams are national powers who have earned this chance.
Sunday Schedule
3:00 PM ET- #3 Hamilton (22-5-2) vs. #1 Hobart (30-0-0) – Utica, NY
*NOTE: TEAM SHEETS’ DATA PRIOR TO TOURNAMENT STARTING
#3 Hamilton vs. #1 Hobart
We start with Mark Taylor’s Statesmen, going for the historic four national championships in four seasons. Hobart has played two more tough games in the last two rounds, but proven that the opponent needs to play absolutely perfect to beat a team this good. On Friday, UW-Stout put forth a fantastic effort, getting under the skin of Hobart early on, but the Statesmen kept their composure.
With the game tied late in the second period, Hobart capitalized on a few rare Blue Devil mistakes cashing in, and controlling most of the third period. They survived a huge penalty kill after Stout cut the Hobart lead to one late in the game. This team continues to be a machine, with each and every individual playing a huge role in making this program the top in the nation.
Hamilton, in the program’s third NCAA appearance, has made the program’s first-ever national championship game after winning their first semifinal appearance versus Aurora Friday afternoon. The Continentals played a very strong game, keeping an elite Spartan attack in check for a majority of the afternoon. Hamilton was extremely opportunistic, capitalizing on AU mistakes, but also forcing them into some costly turnovers.
The Continentals faced their fair share of adversity as well, as they hung on after nearly blowing a 4-1 lead in the third period. Regardless, it took a lot of guts to escape that game and capture the victory. After some doubts heading into the NCAA Tournament, Rob Haberbusch’s team is playing its A-game once again, and looks the part of a team, and a program who has earned the right to play for its first-ever national title. They’ll get to do it just about 10 miles from home.
Common Opponents:
There’s a fair amount of crossover between these two central New York teams.
- Each team took care of Canton in their respective game(s).
- Hamilton beat the Roos 5-2 on the road.
- Hobart swept their SUNYAC series, winning 4-0 on the road, and 5-1 at home.
- Hobart easily managed an away trip to Middlebury, winning 7-0, while Hamilton went 0-1-1 against the Panthers, tying on the road, 0-0, and losing at home in overtime, 2-1.
- Hamilton won a neutral site game versus Morrisville, 6-0. Hobart swept a series with the Mustangs, winning 8-1 at home, and 9-0 on the road.
- Each team had a marquee opponent in Utica, going unbeaten.
- Hamilton played at the Utica Thanksgiving Tournament, winning 3-1 against the Pioneers.
- Hobart swept a home-and-away series with the Pioneers, winning 2-1 at home, and then 6-5 on the road in overtime.
Against common foes, Hobart went 7-0-0, while Hamilton went 3-1-1.
Final Look:
It’s the same story as we’ve seen time and time again: can anyone knock off the champs in a close game? Hobart continues to find ways to win close games, but nothing is easy come playoff time. The Statesmen are a machine, and despite a valiant Stout effort, came out on top. Hamilton has looked to regain its footing that we saw to start off the season, as they look like the best possible challenger for a team going for a four-peat.
The roadmap for Hamilton to win this game is stay true to their structure, playing extremely disciplined in their zone, and keeping everything in front of them. Obviously, they’ll need to take advantage of the opportunities they do get, like they did against Aurora. That’s a little easier said than done with the Sid Watson winner in the opposing goal, Damon Beaver. Hobart looked a little skittish at times versus Stout, but I expect the Statesmen to come out firing and ready to dictate the terms. If you’re Hobart, the gameplan is to wear down this elite defense and fire a ton of pucks in dangerous areas. It’s worked all (four) year(s) long, so the gameplan shouldn’t change much.
At the end of the day, I’m expecting a raucous environment at the Aud in Utica, with both fanbases being fairly close. Both crowds were very strong for their respective teams on Friday, so I’m expecting close to a packed house on Sunday, with a slight edge in fans for Hamilton. I do think this one is very close to the end, and with hockey being a game of inches, can Hamilton find a way to get that bounce that Hobart is so good at earning themselves? Time will tell.
