Championship Central: Hamilton Men’s Hockey Wins NCAA Title
The Hamilton men’s ice hockey team etched its place in history on Sunday, March 29, earning the program’s first NCAA Division III championship. The Continentals defeated No. 1-ranked Hobart College in a 2–1 overtime thriller that brought to an end the Statesmen’s undefeated season and hopes for a fourth consecutive national title.
As an added bonus, the win came just over 11 miles from Sage Rink in the former Utica Memorial Auditorium, where the sell-out crowd leaned heavily buff and blue.
Step inside some of the biggest moments from the day.
Photos by Josh McKee, Video by Zack Stanek
NATIONAL CHAMPS! Men's hockey tops Hobart in final on Sturgeon '29 OT goal
Curtiss Sturgeon '29 scored with 3:16 left in the first sudden-victory overtime period. Read details on the Athletics site.
“One thing that’s been a staple of this program for my four years has been the culture. This is by far the closest team I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve said that every single year that I’ve been here. We’ve always stuck with it. We’ve always believed in ourselves. That was the message throughout today.
“Personally, I don’t have to change anything based on my opponent. My job is pretty easy. I just stop the puck. … I knew they’re a very talented team and they’re going to be able to make plays. As long as I just focus on my mentality and my approach, I trust my game.
BY THE NUMBERS
“In OT, I saw Walsh [Zach Walsh ’29] had the puck, and I think [we] were just on the same page. I knew he was going to high flip it, and then I just found Sturge [Curtiss Sturgeon ’29] on the two-on-one and kind of blacked out after that.
“The greatest thing that I love about these guys is how much respect they have for the people who have come before them. … They have so much respect and gratitude [for being] a Hamilton Continental and joining this Hamilton hockey family, this fraternity of brothers. It’s just built into their DNA.
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