(BOX SCORE)

BUFFALO, NY—Alan Fritch (Saginaw, MI/Heritage) made 42 saves, but Buffalo State (0-0-1) could not hold off a hard-charging Hobart (0-0-1), as the Statesmen evened the score with 48 seconds remaining in regulation for a 2-2 tie in the season opener tonight at the Ice Arena.

Hobart opened the scoring late in the second period with a shorthanded goal. The Bengals evened the score just 28 seconds later with a power-play marker by D'Arcy Thomas (Gatineau, PQ/Philemon Wright) assisted by Nicholas Petriello (St. Catharines, ON/Holy Cross) and Joel Sheppard (Pefferlaw, ON/Sutton District).

The Bengals took the lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal of their own by Kyle Granville (Lockport/Starpoint) with 6:45 remaining, before Hobart scored the late equalizer. The Statesmen outshot the Bengals, 44-22.

The same two teams will meet again tomorrow in Geneva at 7 p.m.