Junior goaltender Adam Lavelle returns for his third year between the pipes. He became the all-time winningest goalie at Hobart (24) with a win over Elmira last year. (Photo by k. olton/SPORTSPICS.net)

October 30, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—Coming off of a year in which the Hobart College hockey team posted a record-breaking six game win streak and won the season series with Elmira for the first time, fourth-year Head Coach Mark Taylor is trying to achieve yet another first by becoming the only boss to lead the Statesmen to consecutive winning seasons.

After recording a 14-10-2 record in 2002-03—just one win shy of tying the all-time mark set by the 1978-79 squad—Hobart returns its top four scorers and a slew of players on defense. Hobart was recently voted fourth in the ECAC West preseason coaches’ poll, receiving two first-place votes and finishing just one point behind rivals Manhattanville and RIT.

Pacing Hobart in scoring last year was junior winger Craig Levey (Missassauga, Ontario) with 18 goals and 14 assists. He led the team with six power-play goals and three game-winners, earning All-ECAC West First-Team honors. First-year Colby McVey (Chicago, Ill.) was right behind him with 10 goals and 14 helpers. His 24 points ranked second among all rookies in the conference and 19th overall.

Losing just three players to graduation, the Statesmen are confident they can improve upon last year’s record and earn their sixth consecutive berth into the ECAC West Tournament. Here is a look at how things will shape up on the ice for Hobart.

The Statesmen return a plethora of talent on offense, including the top line of Levey, McVey and sophomore Will Brame (West Hartford, Conn.). The three excelled last season as a line and are expected only to get better after a year of adapting to each other on the ice. A dangerous tandem, Levey and McVey are not only proven goal scorers but great playmakers as well. Brame will center the line with his gritty and up-tempo style of play.

Taylor is not concerned about creating scoring chances as Hobart has three or four more lines that can step in and stand out after that first group. Senior R.C. Schmidt (Buxton, Maine) looks to regain his sophomore form (10-20-30) after playing much of last at less than 100 percent, while sophomore Lee Carrier (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) will man the right wing after a solid rookie campaign. A physical presence at 6-5, 220, he is a punishing hitter and consistent contributor on both ends of the ice. A hard-working player who does the little things to help win games, junior Jesse Desper (West Kennebunk, Maine) will complete that line as the playmaker.

Sophomores Edward Poirier (Methuen, Mass.), Matthew Garman (Wexford, Pa.), and Brian Keane (Sherborn, Mass.) return after strong rookie seasons. A fast and dynamic forward, Poirier looks to build upon a good first season that saw him tally 11 goals. Garman and Keane have looked good in camp and will complement each other well. Junior transfer Tyler Dufour (Whistler, British Columbia) is expected to step into the lineup and boost the offensive production.

First-years Jonathan Swift (Andover, Mass.), Marc Borden (Glenview, Ill.), and Conor Bradley (West Hartford, Conn.) also are expected to make an immediate impact. Big and strong, Swift will be a power winger for the Statesmen, while Borden will beef up the middle of the ice with his 6-0 frame. A top scorer from the Hill School, Bradley comes in with impressive puck skills and appears to be adapting well to the speed of the college game.

Defensively Hobart looks to keep its identity of a hard working and gritty squad. Knowing they can put enough goals on the board to win games, the Statesmen are committed to solid blue line play.

The loss of Matt Daley represents Hobart’s biggest challenge, but with the majority of players returning and a group of first-years with good size, Taylor believes the defensive corps will be better than last year.

The combination of Stephen Mitacek (Wantagh, N.Y.) and sophomore Greg Gallagher (Framingham, Mass.) returns as the top line and has the potential to be on of the league’s elite blue line pairs. Mitacek is a steady and consistent defenseman, while Gallagher’s added strength this season combined with his puck skills will make him tough.

Senior Trevor Gowan (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) and sophomore Will Bodine (North Massapequa, N.Y.) will come together as a defensive pair this season. Gowan’s hockey sense and heads-up-play and Bodine’s physical presence defensively at 6-3 and ability to shoot the puck that earned him All-Rookie honors from the conference will create problems for the opposing forwards. Tri-captain senior Carl Michaelson (Hudson, Quebec) returns for his final season. A player who has made clutch performances throughout his career, his leadership on and off the ice will be critical to the team’s success. The lone rookie on the blue line corps will be Mike Polsonetti (Lynn, Mass.). Blessed with exceptional puck moving skills, he will provide offensive production from the defensive end of the ice. Sophomores Matt Windhol (Westford, Mass.) and Jeff Bostic (Whitesboro, N.Y.) will step in to fill Daley’s shoes as hard-hitting blueliners.

Junior Adam Lavelle (Chelmsford, Mass.) returns for his third season between the pipes for the Statesmen. A tireless worker who sees the puck well through traffic, he is Hobart’s all-time winningest goalie with 24 wins and ranks third on the career saves list (1,392), needing just 217 stops this season to surpass Chris Connolly ’00 for the record. Sophomore Thomas Kelliher (Rochester, N.Y.) and first-year Andrew Torchia (Bethel Park, Pa.) will battle for the chance to spell Lavelle every once in a while during the long season.

Hobart is looking to improve its special teams this season after scoring on just 19 percent of its power-play opportunities and killing only 24 percent in 2002-03. With many guys capable of playing on the power play, Taylor thinks their desired outcome is just a matter of finding the right combination of players on the ice, while the penalty kill will simply be a matter of continuing to play the same hard-nosed and smart defense the team has established.

Hobart features a tough schedule again this year. Facing No. 7 RIT, No. 8 Elmira, and No. 11 Manhattanville twice, and No. 4 Middlebury and No. 10 Trinity on the road, the Statesmen have their work cut out for them.

“I am very optimistic about where the team is going,” Taylor said. “We took another big step with the rookie class that came in this season and we anticipate another good year.”

The Statesmen open the year on the road at the Buffalo State Tournament on Oct. 31, at 4 p.m., against Fredonia and the following day with Buffalo State at 7:30 p.m.