December 3 , 2004

Dimitri Papaevagelou

GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College first-year goaltender Dimitri Papaevagelou (Windham, N.H.) made 34 saves as the 14th-ranked Statesmen battled eighth-ranked RIT to a 2-2 tie in ECAC West ice hockey action this even in Geneva. Junior Edward Poirier (Methuen, Mass.) tallied the game-tying goal with 3:24 left to play to increase Hobart’s unbeaten streak to six games.

The power-play was the story of the night as all four goals were tallied on extra man opportunities. The Tigers (5-2-1, 2-1-1 ECAC West) and Statesmen (4-1-4, 0-1-2 ECAC West) combined for 118 minutes of penalties and 24 power-play chances during the 65 minutes of action.

Junior defenseman Will Bodine (North Massapequa, N.Y.) got things started when he snuck a shot past RIT goalie George Eliopoulos (Markham, Ontario) just 4:53 into the contest on a five-on-three power play, his fourth goal of the year. Poirier provided the assist on the score with a pass from behind the net.

Getting a five-on-three power-play opportunity of their own less than three minutes later, the Tigers’ Michael Tucciarone (Richmond Hill, Ontario) knocked in the puck to make it 1-1 less than 10 minutes into the game.

It was Papaevagelou keeping the game tied just over two minutes later with an outstanding glove save on Ricky Walton (Hamilton, Ontario).

The penalties continued to come against both teams as they combined for 38 minutes of penalties. The Statesmen nearly took a 2-1 lead less than four minutes in, but a pair of point-blank saves by Eliopoulos kept the score knotted at ones.

Three minutes later and 28 seconds into another five-on-three power play, first-year Matt Smith (Toronto, Ontario) won a faceoff in front of the Hobart goal and found Jason Chafe (Stoney Creek, Ontario) who delivered a perfect pass to Tucciarone for his second goal of the game and fourth of the year with 13:34 left in the second period.

The intensity continued into the third period as the two teams combined for seven more penalties. The Tigers nearly made put the game away with less than five minutes to go, but Papaevagelou made a pair of crucial saves to keep the Statesmen within one.
With just 29 ticks left on its 12th power-play chance of the game, Hobart junior Brian Keane (Sherborn, Mass.) found Poirier open in front of the net for what proved to be the game-tying goal.

The Statesmen outshot the Tigers 42-36, including getting 20-18 on the power play. Both teams were 2-for-12 in their extra man opportunities. In goal for RIT, Eliopoulos had 40 stops.

Hobart returns to action on Dec. 4, hosting ECAC West opponent Lebanon Valley at 4 p.m., at The Cooler.