GENEVA, N.Y.--- A single second period goal held up and the top-seed Hobart College hockey team advances to the New England Hockey Conference championship game with a 1-0 win over Skidmore College, Saturday night at the Cooler. The Thoroughbreds end the season 16-9-2, while the Statesmen, ranked second nationally, are 25-2.

• The first period featured end-to-end skating with few whistles. Skidmore had a 7-3 shot advantage over the first 10:00, finishing with a 9-7 edge. Neither team connected on single power play chances. NEHC Player of the Year Luke Aquaro got loose inside the zone for a quick break at 7:13, but Tate Brandon came up big with one of his seven saves of the period.
• Hobart broke the ice at 3:19 of the second when Zach Tyson stuffed a loose rebound past Brandon. The play started when Tanner Daniels made a quick entrance on the ice for a breakaway and got a clean shot off that Brandon saved, but Tyson found a piece of the puck in the ensuing chaos for the 1-0 lead.
• At 2:50 of the third, Thomas Finck had a chance for the equalizer, coming out of the box for a breakaway that Damon Beaver stopped.
• Skidmore pulled Brandon with 1:55 to play for the extra attacker, but the Statesmen withstood the pressure to hold on for the 1-0 win.
• Shots were 29-26 Hobart. Brandon had 28 saves, while Beaver had 26 for his seventh
• Skidmore's 16 wins tie the most since the team moved to the NEHC/ECAC East in 1998-99. The team won 16 last season and in 2006-07.