UTICA, N.Y. - Curtiss Sturgeon scored with 3:16 remaining in overtime and Aksel Reid made 39 saves as Hamilton captured the first national championship in program history, stunning previously unbeaten Hobart 2-1 in the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey title game on Sunday before 3,837 fans at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y.

Sturgeon, who had just one goal entering the game, became an unlikely hero when he buried a feed from Luke Tchor and Zach Walsh to send the Continentals streaming off the bench in celebration. It was Hamilton's fifth overtime victory of the season, a fitting finish for a team that thrived in tight games throughout its championship run.

Hobart (30-1-0) struck first on Kahlil Fontana's power-play goal at 8:39 of the first period, capping a sustained push by Conor Lally, who fired four shots during the man advantage. The Statesmen appeared poised to carry the lead into the intermission and beyond.

But Hamilton (23-5-2) wasted no time in the second period. Just 15 seconds after the opening faceoff, Tchor - the team's leading scorer with 32 points on the season - buried a pass from Noah Leibl to tie the game at 1-1. The goal ignited the Continentals, who outshot Hobart 13-10 in the third period.

Reid, who posted a 1.89 goals-against average and .920 save percentage during the regular season, turned aside all eight shots he faced in overtime including a dangerous chance from Lally. Damon Beaver made 23 saves in the loss for Hobart, whose unbeaten run ended one win short of a perfect season.

Hamilton's title caps a remarkable postseason run that included victories over Neumann, No. 12 Norwich, and Aurora before toppling the top-seeded Statesmen.

NOTE: Hamilton is the third NESCAC school to win a men's ice hockey title and its the first for the conference since Trintiy won in 2015 ... The Continentials' victory marks the 10th time a NESCAC team has won the Division III title since 1995.