The season started in October with 91 teams hoping to make it to the last game in late March. That time has arrived, and the Hamilton College Continentals are one of the two teams playing for the national title.
 
Hamilton makes the 10-mile drive to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y., for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Championship final against the Hobart College Statesmen on Sunday, March 29 at 3 p.m.
 
The Continentals are in the national championship game for the first time in team history after reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and 2025. Hamilton and Hobart have played each other many times before, but not since November 2012, and just twice in the last 25 years.
 
Here's a glance at Sunday afternoon's matchup as the Continentals aim to capture the second NCAA team title in Hamilton College history (women's lacrosse in 2008).
 
Records
Hamilton: 22-5-2 overall (14-3-1 in New England Small College Athletic Conference, first place)
Hobart: 30-0-0 overall (18-0-0 in State University of New York Athletic Conference, first place)
 
Rankings
Hamilton: No. 6 in March 9 USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll and No. 3 in March 8 NCAA Power Index
Hobart: No. 1 in March 9 USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll and No. 1 in March 8 NCAA Power Index
 
How They Got Here
Hamilton: Defeated Neumann University 6-2 in first round on March 14, Norwich University 2-1 (OT) in quarterfinals on March 21 and Aurora University 6-3 in semifinals on March 27; NCAA at-large bid
Hobart: First round bye, defeated St. Norbert College 2-1 in quarterfinals on March 21 and University of Wisconsin-Stout 4-2 in semifinals on March 27; NCAA automatic bid
 
NCAA History
Hamilton: Third appearance (2017, 2025), 5-2 record in NCAA Championship
Hobart: 15 appearances (national titles in 2023, 2024, 2025), 15-10-2 record in NCAA Championship
 
Head Coaches
Hamilton: Rob Haberbusch, 14th season, 185-135-40 record
Hobart: Mark Taylor, 25th season, 465-177-56 record
 
Team Stats
Hamilton: 3.8 goals/game; 1.9 goals allowed/game; 35.6 shots/game; 25.0% PP pct. (30-120); 87.7% PK pct. (9-73); 6.7 PIM/game; 53.0% faceoff win pct.
Hobart: 5.2 goals/game; 0.9 goals allowed/game; 46.0 shots/game; 32.7% PP pct. (37-113); 90.6% PK pct. (8-85); 8.7 PIM/game; 54.6% faceoff win pct.
 
Individual Stat Leaders
Hamilton: Luke Tchor '27 (F, 5-10, 180, 17G-15A-32P); Devon de Vries '27 (F, 5-11, 175, 6G-25A-31P); John Wojciechowski '28 (D, 5-11, 180, 5G-21A-26P); Justin Biraben '27 (F, 6-0, 180, 10G-16A-26P); Jackson Krock '26 (F, 5-11, 188, 8G-14A-22P); Noah Leibl '27 (F, 6-2, 189, 11G-11A-22P); Max Bulawka '26 (F, 6-1, 189, 12G-10A-22P)
Hobart: Arvega Hovsepyan (So., F, 5-9, 183, 11G-32A-43P); Kahlil Fontana (Sr., F, 5-11, 185, 20G-21A-41P); Conor Lally (Jr., D, 5-11, 185, 14G-24A-38P); Tanner Daniels (Sr., F, 5-9, 160, 16G-21A-37P); Chris Duclair (Jr., F, 5-9, 185, 13G-14A-27P)
 
The Goaltenders
Hamilton: Aksel Reid '27 (6-1, 185, 27 starts, 19-5-2 record, 1.89 GAA, .920 save pct., 5 shutouts)
Hobart: Damon Beaver (Sr., 6-0, 170, 19 starts, 20-0-0 record, 0.96 GAA, .953 save pct., 7 shutouts)
 
Notes
Hamilton won in the first round and reached the quarterfinals in both of its previous NCAA championship appearances in 2017 and 2025. … The Continentals advanced to the 2026 NESCAC championship semifinals. … Luke Tchor '27 was selected the NESCAC Player of the Year and Rob Haberbusch was voted NESCAC Coach of the Year – both for the second year in a row. … Forwards Tchor, Jackson Krock '26, and Devon de Vries '27, defensemen John Wojciechowski '28 and Connor Thue '29, and goaltender Aksel Reid '27 made the all-NESCAC team. … Tchor made the American Hockey Coaches Association All-America Team in 2025 and 2026 and was a Sid Watson Award finalist for the national player of the year both years. … Tchor became the 27th player in team history with 100 career points, but just the third in the last 20 years, with his goal on Friday. … Hamilton has posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time. … The Continentals have been ranked as high as second in the USCHO.com poll and the NCAA Power Index. … Hamilton is fifth in NCAA Division III in scoring defense. … The Continentals set a team record for wins in a season with their 22^nd on Friday. ... Krock scored the overtime game-winning goal against Norwich in the quarterfinals. ... Max Bulawka '26 and Noah Leibl '27 have scored five goals apiece and Wojciechowski has nine assists in five postseason games in 2026. ... After Friday's win, Hamilton is 3-0 in the Adirondack Bank Center this season as the Continentals defeated Utica University and SUNY Morrisville in a tournament in late November.
 
Hobart is trying to become the first men's hockey team in Division III to finish the season with no losses and no ties. … Arvega Hovsepyan is fourth in NCAA Division III in assists per game. … Damon Beaver leads the nation in goals against average and save percentage. … The Statesmen are second in Division III in power-play percentage, fourth in penalty killing percentage, first in scoring defense and first in scoring offense. … Beaver won the 2026 Sid Watson Award for the national player of the year in Divisions II-III. … Head Coach Mark Taylor was named the 2026 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Coach of the Year. … Beaver, forwards Hovsepyan, Kahlil Fontana and Tanner Daniels, and defensemen Conor Lally and Bauer Morrissey made the 2026 AHCA All-America Team. … Middlebury College, which won five straight titles from 1995 to 1999, is the only Division III men's hockey team to win more than three straight NCAA championships.