October 17 , 2006

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart ice hockey team is ranked sixth in the country among Division III schools, according to the USCHO.com preseason poll released earlier today.

Defending national champion Middlebury holds the top spot in the poll, followed by St. Norbert, Norwich, and league rivals Elmira and Manhattanville. Last spring, St. Norbert knocked the Statesmen out of the NCAA Tournament with a 5-4 overtime win in the semifinal round.

The Statesmen closed out the 2005-06 season with a 20-8-0 overall record and a 10-5-0 mark in the ECAC West, after making its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. The 20-win season marked the most wins in Hobart hockey history.

Head Coach Mark Taylor returns two of the team's top three scorers from last season. Seniors Conor Bradley (Hill School/West Hartford, Conn.) (18 goals-11 assists-29 points) and Mike McCarthy (Boston Harbor Wolves/Medfield, Mass.) (10-16-26) will lead the offense again this year. Defensively, ECAC West All-Rookie Team selection Keith Longo (Central Texas/Hopedale, Mass.) (12-7-0, .928 sv%) will return in goal for the Statesmen.

Hobart will open its season on Oct. 28 when it hosts Potsdam at 4 p.m. The Statesmen will begin ECAC West play on Nov. 3 when they travel to Utica for a game at 7 p.m.