Built For This
“I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe this just happened.’ It didn’t really kick in until we all were lined up along the blue line. It felt surreal.”
Luke Tchor ’27
At that moment, the near-capacity crowd of more than 3,500 — minus several hundred Hobart College fans on the other side of the rink — figuratively blew the roof off of the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Hamilton 2, Hobart 1, and the Continentals grabbed their first-ever NCAA Division III men’s hockey championship.
The goal came at 16:44 of overtime and pushed the Continentals past the perennially powerful Statesmen who came into the game 30-0, unbeaten in their previous 43 games and winners of three consecutive national titles.
March 29, 2026. That date will live in Hamilton memories for a long, long while.
That Magical Moment
What was that moment like for Sturgeon, a first-year student who had lost much of the early season to injury and had scored just one previous goal as a college player?
“I don’t think words can describe what I felt,” he said. “I didn’t expect the pass to come that fast. I don’t even remember shooting the puck. I can’t really describe it, but it was the best feeling of my life.”
It was a pretty good feeling for anyone associated with Hamilton hockey and the College’s entire athletics program. That goal secured just the second national team championship for a Hamilton team —women’s lacrosse stormed to a national title in 2008 — as the Continentals finished the season with a school-record number of wins (23-5-2).
Sturgeon’s goal, an earlier one by Tchor, a stupefying 39 saves by goaltender Aksel Reid ’27, and a solid all-around performance by the entire team added up to victory. But if Hobart was a prohibitive favorite, the Continentals hardly thought of themselves as sacrificial lambs.
“There was no avoiding the résumé Hobart put together,” said Noah Leibl ’27, next season’s captain. “But it’s funny. All the things that describe Hobart — depth, skill — I think we were playing a team that was very similar to ourselves, set up in a very similar way. You just have to have confidence and put your head down and work.”
As the red light behind the net flashed and the horn blared indicating the winning goal, the crowd erupted and the love fest for the team went into high gear. About everyone associated with the College — from President Steven Tepper on down — celebrated wildly in the stands and on the ice (and that doesn’t include the countless others watching via live stream). The festivities continued with a fire engine and police escort through Clinton as the players returned to campus that evening.
“It felt great,” Tchor said. “I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe this just happened.’ It didn’t really kick in until we all were lined up along the blue line. It felt surreal.”
“From a [former coach] Greg Batt alum, Chip Pickering ’52, comes a gigantic congratulations on a historic win! Watching the Continentals yesterday was a glorious treat of a lifetime. We all share in your success.”
“These boys have certainly put Hamilton on the map and achieved something none of us, unfortunately, were able to. Extraordinary achievement! Proud of them and happy to experience this in person with my son.” Gus Katsuras ’06
“What an amazing run by such an exciting, hardworking, talented group of young men! Congrats to Coach Haberbusch and the players. They have made Hamilton hockey alumni very proud to have worn that uniform!” Joe Mucha ’96
A Dream in the Making
The championship had been brewing for some time. The Continentals reached the NESCAC semifinals in 2022, the quarterfinals in 2023, and the semifinals again in 2024. Last year, they went 21-7-1 and won the NESCAC title for the first time before the campaign ended with a loss to Curry College in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Coach Rob Haberbusch, who also holds the title Jerome Gottlieb ’64 Fellow for Exemplary Coaching and professor of physical education, is the first to acknowledge that this year’s success came as the result of a finely honed recipe — the perfect blend of talent, work ethic, camaraderie, leadership — that takes time and collaboration to develop.
“Really our only goal going into each year is to just reach our potential, to play our best, and maximize what we have.” said the reserved, soft-spoken Haberbusch, 186-135-40 in his 15 seasons on the Hill. “We knew we had a pretty good team after winning the league last year, but we just stuck to the process. We talk a lot about trying to get better each day and to peak at the end of the season. We knew the ceiling was pretty high if we did that.”
It’s said that championships rarely emerge from a single extraordinary season. More often, they grow from decades of shared expectations, steady leadership, and a culture that quietly insists on excellence. Although this year’s team captured the NCAA title, Haberbusch and his players are quick to point out that it also belongs to every team that helped build one of Division III’s most enduring hockey traditions. The trophy is a milestone, not a beginning.
Others within the Continentals hockey family agreed: “Watching Luke’s perfect pass and Curtiss’ flawless closer made possible by Aksel’s extraordinary performance between the pipes was both improbable and so incredibly appropriate,” said former defenseman Monty Pooley ’84, a trustee and longtime supporter of the team. “Hamilton Hockey’s proud past and bright future came together in a team of student athletes who exhibited the immense power of a disciplined system on and off the ice, the elevating impact of committed team play, and the limitless potential for achievement and success on the Hill.”
It was a team assembled for success. Tchor, from Mississauga, Ontario, led the squad in scoring (18 goals, 16 assists) and won a host of honors, including an All-American berth, New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year, and Division III Player of the Year finalist.
The Continentals also had to replace some key people from the previous season — Charlie Archer ’25, an All-American in goal, and much of the blue line corps — with Walsh, Sturgeon, and Connor Thue ’29 among the newcomers filling some of those holes. The roster also reflected how popular and widespread hockey has become. Five Canadian provinces were represented, and nine states, including three players from California and one from Texas.
“It was like a dream come true. Winning was the next step, and it meant the world to all of us,” said former player Dave Lahey ’83, a supporter of the program and player mentor, who had the honor of carrying the championship trophy during the post-game event.
“The greatest thing that I love about [our players] 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.
The Right Chemistry
Great talent and excellent coaching were a given. Hamilton’s success also resulted from a team culture that the players agreed led to a very tight, together group.
“I would say it took everyone,” Tchor said. “Honestly. The reason we beat them was because everyone did their job — just getting pucks out, forwards finishing checks. Everyone did everything. Our goaltending was phenomenal. Reid had his best game of the season, and it came at a perfect time. We knew we had to execute, and that’s just what we did.”
It also might not have happened without a team that was especially mature, with great leadership, something many of the players reiterated many times.
“I feel like we’re always there for each other. Whether it be career-related, or hockey-related, or life in general, there is always someone on the team who’s willing to help you,” Tchor said. “It makes it that much easier to be successful when you have 30 guys you know you can count on as a support system.”
Yet the recipe wasn’t complete without another key ingredient — strong direction.
“Beyond the players we had — and we had really good players — we had really good leadership,” Haberbusch said. “It was a team in every sense of the word. They really cared about each other. No one was selfish. They really appreciated the opportunity they had, and the state of the program. They didn’t want to let people down and were focused on putting in the work and making the most of the opportunity. They understood nothing was going to be automatic.”
And how did the team get that way? Leibl wasn’t afraid to say it. “We love each other,” he said. “It’s funny; it’s partly due to the sport we play. For me, it’s how we approach the game and do our preparation — team first, sacrificing your body. Hockey demands respect. The coaches and the leadership group have done a great job of getting everybody on the same page — backchecking, blocking shots. Even the guys who don’t get to play have unbelievable attitudes. They are fully invested. That’s what the coaches expect, what the captains expect. The seniors and upperclassmen do a great job of letting people know what is expected.”
That sentiment was seconded by Reid, who came to Hamilton after starting his collegiate career at Union College. “There’s no other group I’d rather do this with,” the goalie said. “The biggest reason I decided to transfer here was the culture. Just talking to guys while I was in the transfer portal, I could tell that this was already a tight group. There is a lot of love here. There’s a lot of commitment to getting better. When I came in last year, I was welcomed like a long-lost brother immediately. It was unbelievable. I just love these guys. They’ve been there for me no matter what.”
“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.
That work ethic and mutual support system became apparent as the season progressed. The Continentals got off to a roaring start, going 18-1-2 before a late regular-season slump that saw them lose their last two games. Then they won their opening league playoff game against Connecticut College before losing in overtime to Williams in the NESCAC tournament.
Then came the NCAA tournament. It was not an easy road to navigate.
“We weren’t playing well,” Haberbusch said. “There were some injuries, etc., but that was the bottom line; we weren’t playing well enough to win. I give the guys a ton of credit. They showed a lot of determination to get going in the right direction. It wasn’t going to fix itself, and we had to respond immediately.”
And they did — at exactly the right time. The team downed Neumann 6-2 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, edged Norwich 2-1 on captain Jackson Krock’s ’26 overtime goal, and defeated Aurora 6-3 in a very close game that included two empty-net insurance goals. That set up the dramatic, nail-biting battle with the Hobart Statesmen.
It Starts at the Top
Haberbusch — “Habs” to the players; everyone in hockey has a nickname — who was assisted by Steve Castriota and Casey Boone, led the whole deal, and his leadership was readily acknowledged by the players.
“He is very respected and appreciated by the guys,” Reid said. “He’s a really good players coach. He understands what we’re going through, and that translates to us trusting him on the ice.”
A former player at Fairfield University, Haberbusch served as an assistant coach at the University of Findlay and Iona University and was associate head coach at West Point before arriving in Clinton in 2011. He firmly believes that team culture is extremely important.
“Our team values are where I spend the most time,” he said. “Citizenship, work ethic, expectations as a teammate. I think the best teams are player-led. I try to bring in players who share those values and empower them to lead the team. Players listen to their teammates more than they do the coach. The captains, they’re almost like our first sergeants.”
“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.
Champions Off the Ice
In the end, the first championship didn’t come from something the program had been missing, but from something this group already had and carried with them. The players’ empathy, awareness, and perspective didn’t start with hockey; hockey is just where it became visible
This dynamic resulted in wins reflected not only on the scoreboard, but also for the community. After taking Nature & Technology with Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Aaron Strong, forwards Carson Hall ’26 and Ben Zimmerman ’26 got the idea to investigate ways to offset carbon emissions associated with team travel. Working with the Hamilton Sustainability Coordinators — and getting other players involved — the team spent a Saturday planting over 50 trees in Utica.
“That project was emblematic of our team buying into everything we do,” defenseman Lucas Constantine ’27 said.
Last season, led by Krock and Cam Miranda ’26, the team raised funds to buy a professional grade telescope for a local teenager by hosting a Make-A-Wish game. “That was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever been involved in,” Constantine added. “We’re constantly impacting not only our campus, but also the greater community. We also participated in the Breaking Bread program, where we get paired with local youth hockey players. We go to their games, and they come to ours.”
“I don’t think you can find a national championship team with a 3.76 GPA,” said Constantine, one of next season’s assistant captains, who received the coveted Milton F. Fillius, Jr./Joseph Drown Prize Scholarship awarded to a student completing the junior year who has excelled academically, demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Hamilton, and is likely to make a significant contribution to society in the future.
Several rising seniors spent the summer pursing career-related experiences, including Tchor (working with Doug Famigletti ’94) and Leibl, who interned in New York City at Griffin Asset Management and JP Morgan, respectively. Constantine and Reid, both pre-med, conducted research at Utica’s Masonic Medical Research Institute (Reid as the inaugural recipient of the Mary McLean Evans ’82 and Allen H. Van Dyke Internship Fund). Among recent graduates, Zimmerman is working in Denver at Copley Equity Partners; Krock is with the investment bank and financial services company William Blair in New York; Miranda has joined Bank of America in Boston; and Hall is attending law school at Temple University.
What’s next?
The Continentals can’t do better than they did this year, but can they do just as well? It won’t be easy. NESCAC will be a tough grind, as always — “Every game is a playoff game,” Haberbusch said — and another trip to the NCAA tournament is not a given.
“We should have confidence after what we accomplished, but we’re going to have a target on our backs,” Leibl said. “We have to take it day by day. Nothing will be handed to us. From the first game on, we’ll be getting everyone’s 100 percent. It’s a different season. The goal is the next game. Short-term focus will be key for us. Our goalie is arguably the best in the country; all our D men are back. It’s time to do as much work or more than we did last year.”
The Continentals finished the season with a nuomber of high statistical rankings in Division III. Tchor was 10th in goals per game at .69; Reid ranked eighth with a .778 goalie winning percentage; the team was fifth in goals against at 1.83; Devon de Vries ’27 was 16th in assists per game at .83.
Hamilton also piled up many post-season honors. Tchor had his All-American and league player of the year awards. Haberbusch was the NESCAC Coach of the Year, as well as the USCHO and the D3 Hockey News Coach of the Year. Tchor and defenseman John Wojciechowski ’28 — five goals, 21 assists — were first team All-NESCAC, while Reid, de Vries, Krock, and Thue were named to the second team.
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As the record (and history) books closed on the 2025-26 season, it became clear that what set this team apart wasn’t easy to quantify — and that may be the point. If there were a single, simple explanation for what took this group of Hamiltonians to a national title, it would have happened before and be easily repeated. Instead, what separated this team is something harder to name. But Krock gave it a try:
“One thing that’s been a staple of this program for my four years has been the culture,” the captain said right after the championship trophy presentation. “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.”
Posted September 9, 2026
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