October 14 , 2004

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College hockey team is picked to finish first in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West coaches’ preseason poll released this afternoon. The Statesmen received four first place votes and 44 points to top the rankings, while Manhattanville and RIT are picked to finish second and third, respectively.

Hobart is coming off of its most successful season ever, capturing both the ECAC West regular season and tournament titles and earning a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s history. The Statesmen finished the 2003-04 season 15-8-5, posting the best win percentage and matching the 1972 squad’s record for wins in a season.

Losing just three seniors from last year’s team, Hobart returns over 90 percent of its scoring and a solid group of defensemen. The Statesmen will be led by senior captains Craig Levey (Mississauga, Ontario) and Steve Mitacek (Wantagh, N.Y.) and assistant captains Jeff Bostic (Whitesboro, N.Y.) and Jesse Desper (West Kennebunk, Maine).

Levey returns as Hobart’s top scorer after tallying 17 goals and 17 assists last season. Juniors Colby McVey (Chicago, Ill.) and Will Brame (West Hartford, Conn.) also are expected to be major contributors after finishing second and third, respectively, in scoring for the Statesmen last season.

Mitacek and goaltender Adam Lavelle (Chelmsford, Mass.) will anchor the blueline corps. Playing in all but two games last season, Mitacek was second in scoring among defensemen with 14 points. Lavelle returns for his final season between the pipes for the Statesmen. Selected to the JOFA/AHCA All-America second-team in 2003-04, he finished the season with a 3.54 goals against average and .882 save percentage.

Hobart opens the 2004-05 season at the Buffalo State Invitational on Oct. 29-30. The Statesmen will take on Fredonia on Oct. 29, at 7 p.m., and Buffalo State the following evening at 7 p.m.