Jeff Bostic	Craig Levey
Jesse Desper	Steve Mitacek

May 12, 2004

GENEVA, N.Y.—Head Coach Mark Taylor has announced that junior forward Craig Levey (Mississauga, Ontario) and junior defenseman Steve Mitacek (Wantagh, N.Y.) will serve as captains for the 2004-05 season. Junior forward Jesse Desper (Williston/West Kennebunk, Maine) and sophomore defenseman Jeff Bostic (Whitesboro/Whitesboro, N.Y.) were selected as assistant captains.

“We have a great pair of captains in Mitacek and Levey,” said Taylor. “It’s always nice to have that balance on offense and defense. As for Jesse and Jeff, it’s nice to see the unsung type of players get recognized by their teammates. They do a lot for the team that goes unnoticed and will good provide leadership for us both on and off the ice.”

The ECAC West Co-Player of the Year, Levey, who also served as captain last season, led the team with 34 points on 17 goals and 17 assists. He tallied at least a point in 19 of the 25 games in which he played, earning All-ECAC West first-team honors for the second consecutive year. His team-leading eight power-play goals ranks sixth on the single season list, while he is fifth on the career list in power-play scores (20) and ranks ninth in career goals (48).

Mitacek anchored the Statesmen’s defense, racking up 14 points on two goals and 12 assists, second among all blueliners. He tallied a season-high three assists against Cortland and scored a power-play goal and an assist in a win over Elmira.

Seeing action in all but one game, Desper was a consistent playmaker, helping Hobart score 12 more goals than the previous season. He notched a season-best three points on a goal and two assists against Buffalo State and provided a helper on a shorthanded goal to help lift the Statesmen past RIT in the regular season finale.

A physical blueliner for Hobart, Bostic earned his first career assist at Buffalo State. He finished the season with three helpers. He is the lone underclassman captain selected by his teammates.

Hobart closed out its historic season with a 9-5 loss to Norwich in the NCAA Tournament. The Statesmen finished with a 15-8-5 record, the best winning percentage (.625) in the program’s 26 varsity seasons. This year’s club also matched the school record for wins in a season, established by the first Statesmen hockey team in 1978-79 (15-16-1).

Hobart captured first place in the ECAC West regular season standings for the first time with their best league record ever, 7-2-1. The Statesmen also won the ECAC West Tournament and finished the season ranked ninth in the USCHO.com poll, the highest ranking in the program’s history.