GENEVA, N.Y. - The Norwich University men's ice hockey team lost for the first time in four trips to the Geneva Recreation Center on Friday night with a 4-3 overtime loss to No. 4-ranked Hobart College.

No. 8-ranked Norwich (6-2-4, 3-2-3 NEHC) tied the game with an extra skater on the ice with 12 seconds left as freshman Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.) scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season off assists from Noah Williams (Cortland, N.Y.) and Braedyn Aubin (Woodstock, Ontario). 

Hobart (10-2-1, 6-0-1 NEHC) scored the game-winning goal just 45 seconds into overtime though as Aaron Maguyon sniped the top shelf, glove side on Drennen Atherton (Winter Haven, Fla.) to lift the Statesmen to the huge NEHC showdown victory. Norwich and Hobart have met in the last three NEHC Championship games, with Norwich taking the 2019 and 2020 titles, while Hobart won in 2018.

Hobart built up a 3-1 lead in the third period, but Williams tipped home a shot from the point by Devon Becker (Langley, British Columbia) for a power-play goal at the 11:57 mark with a secondary assist from Brett Ouderkirk (Monkland, Ontario). 

Junior defenseman Callum Jones (Burlington, Ontario) scored off assists from Isaac Chapman (Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia) and Ouderkirk at the 11:35 mark of the first period to tie the game at 1-1 after Hobart took an early lead.

Atherton made 25 saves for the Cadets in goal to suffer his first loss of his Norwich career. 

Norwich will look to rebound on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Elmira College for its first-ever NEHC contest with the Soaring Eagles at the Murray Athletic Center in Pine Valley, N.Y.