Craig Levey lifts a shot over the shoulder of the Norwich goalie, sparking a 5-0 Hobart run in the Statesmen's 9-5 NCAA Quarterfinal loss to the Cadets. (Photo by k. colton/SportsPics.net)

March 10, 2004

NORTHFIELD, Vt.—Making its first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Hobart hockey team overcame an early four-goal deficit taking a 5-4 lead with 16:32 remaining in the contest, but the defending national champion Norwich Cadets rattled off five consecutive goals to halt the Statesmen’s seven-game winning streak, 9-5.

The host Cadets (24-3-0) put the Statesmen (15-8-5) in a big hole right out of the gate. Ninety-six seconds in Norwich boasted a 1-0 lead, and doubled that advantage at the 3:01 mark. The Cadets tacked on a power-play tally midway through the frame and looked poised to rout Hobart with a fourth goal at 14:36.

Junior Craig Levey snapped Hobart’s offense out of its slumber, lifting the puck over Mike Boudreau’s left shoulder for his team-leading eighth power play goal of the season. The Statesmen got another power play score just 54 seconds later. This time, junior Tyler Dufour did the honors, finishing a feed from first-year Mike Polsonetti.

Hobart closed to within one right before the end of the first period when sophomore Lee Carrier converted a short-handed breakaway chance.

The second period proved to be a tighter, more defensive battle. First-year Conor Bradley netted the only goal of the second stanza, tipping a shot by Adam Scott past Boudreau. The Statesmen and Cadets skated into the third period knotted at four-all.

In the third period, Scott gave Hobart its first and only lead of the contest, knocking home a rebound for a 5-4 Statesmen advantage.

Norwich responded just 28 seconds later and reclaimed the lead at the 5:07 mark, part of a five-goal Cadet flourish that sent the hosts to their fourth consecutive NCAA semifinal appearance.

Junior Adam Lavelle finished with 38 saves in his first loss since Jan. 16. At the other end of the ice, Boudreau made 27 stops.

Hobart’s historic season ended with a 15-8-5 record, the best winning percentage (.625) in the program’s 26 varsity seasons. This year’s club also matched the school record for wins in a season, established by the first Statesmen hockey team in 1978-79 (15-16-1).

Hobart finished in first place in the ECAC West regular season standings for the first time with their best league record ever, 7-2-1. The Statesmen also won the ECAC West Tournament and finished the season ranked ninth in the USCHO.com poll, the highest ranking in the program’s history.