Greg McCarthy is one of 37 lacrosse players named to the 2005 Tewaaraton watch list. (Photo by Art Foxall)

February 24, 2005

GENEVA, N.Y.--Head Coach Matt Kerwick ’90 is hoping the old adage, “Defense wins championships,” holds true in 2005. The Statesmen return eight starters from last season’s NCAA Tournament team, including the entire defense intact.

Hobart finished the 2004 season with a 9-7 record, the most victories for the program since moving to Division I in 1995. The Statesmen defense was a crucial factor in that success, holding opponents to less than nine goals per game. Only four teams reached double digits against Hobart’s D.

The Statesmen racked up seven of their nine wins at the expense of Patriot League foes (only conference champion and national runner-up Navy escaped Hobart unscathed) as they played their swan song season in the conference. In the Patriot loop, the Statesmen came closest to upending the second-ranked Midshipmen, yielding a heartbreaking 9-8 decision in the conference title game.

To top the Statesmen in 2004, it took the nation’s best—six of the seven losses were to teams ranked in the top-10. After a slow start to the season, Hobart won six of its final eight regular season games, including a 12-10 win over ninth-ranked Cornell to end the regular season and merit the Statesmen’s 25th NCAA Tournament invitation, the program’s fourth since 1998.

While Kerwick expects the defensive excellence to continue in 2005, one trend he would like to see reversed is Hobart’s recent pattern of making the NCAA bracket in even numbered years. With no automatic bid for the ECAC Lacrosse League, the Statesmen’s new home, every game will play a vital role in reaching that goal.

Here’s how Hobart figures to shape up, position-by-position:

GOALTENDERS
During the 2004 season, Dan Valente emerged as a force in the cage. In his first season as a starter, he posted the lowest goals against average (8.84) and won the most games (9) of Hobart’s Division I backstops. A black belt in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, Valente possesses lightning fast reflexes, exceptional instincts, and impressive mobility. Fourth on the team in ground balls last season, he helped the attack (kick-starting clears and even earning an assist on the game-winning goal against Penn State in overtime) as much as he anchored the defense (.583 SV%). A leader both on and off the field, he will serve as a team captain this season.

Junior Mike DeSantis is expected to hold down the top backup role. He was solid in 75 minutes of relief work last year (8.80 GAA, .577 SV%).

DEFENSEMEN
Led by senior captain Greg McCarthy, this is a talented and deep group that punishes opposing attackmen with an average frame of 6-foot-3, 209 pounds.

An honorable mention USILA All-American in 2004, McCarthy is on everyone’s radar this season. A Face-Off Yearbook preseason All-American and a preseason All-ECAC Lacrosse League pick, he is the first Statesman to earn a spot on the Tewaaraton Award watch list. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is an intelligent player, who brings a bruising style to the Statesmen.

Junior Matt Murphy (6-foot-4, 215) will also be a fixture in the Hobart lineup. The two-year starter has a nose for ground balls—picking up 52 last season, second among Statesmen long-sticks—and loves to move forward with the attack whenever possible.

A testament to Hobart’s depth at close defense, the third starting spot will be highly sought after. Senior Chet Braun (6-foot-0, 185), senior John Tammaro (6-foot-2, 215), and sophomore Matthew Ranaghan (6-foot-4, 200) will compete for that final spot with the other two seeing significant playing time to spell the starters. Braun enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2004, developing into a consistent shutdown defender. Tammaro returned to the lineup after a season off, and showed no signs of rust. An unflappable presence, he stood up to repeated attacks as teams worked to avoid McCarthy and Murphy. Ranaghan made steady progress as a first-year, seeing time in eight contests, but made meteoric strides during the offseason as he frequented the RFK Varsity Strength Training Center.

MIDFIELDERS
While Brian Joy’s blistering shot will be missed, the Statesmen will be blessed with talent and depth in the midfield. A first-team All-Patriot League selection, Joy produced career-highs for goals, assists, points, and ground balls during his final season for the Purple and Orange, and Kerwick is looking forward to a similar spike from senior Chris Scanlon and red-shirt junior Nate Molinari.

The team captains enjoyed very similar seasons in 2004. Scanlon (16-4-20) is more of a pure scorer, while Molinari (12-7-19) kept defenders guessing with his balanced scoring. Both players scored two game-winning goals, while Molinari picked up three more ground balls (22-19). Joining this tandem on the top midfield line will be junior Patrick Meade. A gifted two-way player, he scored 17 points (15-2) on the offensive end, was tough to beat on the defensive end, and was pure speed in between.

Junior Mark Conklin and sophomore Chris David will anchor the second midfield line. A steady contributor in his first two seasons (19 gms, 5 pts), the coaching staff is looking for Conklin to have a breakthrough season. Mr. Third Quarter, David scored his first seven goals (out of 12) in the third frame, including back-to-back tallies at sixth-ranked Georgetown. First-year Sean Murphy (Bishop Timon-St. Jude/Buffalo, N.Y.) is penciled in to join these two veterans. The high school All-American led the Tigers to a 15-4 record as a senior and scored a career-high 66 goals as a junior.

The third line will feature a trio of untested players: sophomores James Dussich and Justin Porter and first-year Nick Currie (Corning East/Corning, N.Y.). Dussich saw time in two games in 2004 and has continued to develop his skills in the offseason, while Porter, a native Genevan, made similar progress and is poised to put his skills on display in front of his hometown fans. Currie is a multitalented athlete, who led the Trojans to the Class B State Championship game in both football and lacrosse during his senior year.

Junior transfer Nick Wilber and sophomores Jarrett Moffitt and Jamie MacDonald will add depth to the midfield.

At the faceoff X, John Soden enjoyed a brilliant first-year, taking the lion’s share of Hobart’s restarts and ranking 15th in the nation in winning percentage (.552). He also led the Statesmen in ground balls with 73. Soden was at his best when Hobart went to OT, winning 13-of-17 against Penn State and 21-of-28 against Ohio State.

A first-year out of New Hartford (N.Y.) High School, Dan Spinella is expected to serve as Soden’s top backup. He helped the Spartans to a 14-5 record last season and earned All-Central New York honors. A tireless worker, junior Otto Foerster also will figure into the mix at the X.

Junior Andrew Narog and sophomore Chris Keough are expected to be central figures in Hobart’s defensive success as long-stick midfielders. Narog is a steadfast defender with a keen sense of awareness. Keough was one of the team’s top rookies last season, displaying equal part doggedness and speed, but he’s been slowed by off-season knee surgery and may not appear in the lineup until midseason.

Junior Alex Jessup emerged as a tenacious d-middie last season. Jessup is expected to step up into the No. 1 role with junior Michael Solomon getting quality supporting minutes. First-year Jim Farmer (Hand/Madison, Conn.) is one of the best athletes on the team and also will see quality time at d-middie.

ATTACK
On attack is where the Statesmen will feel the greatest sting from graduation. Mark Williamson scored 56 points (35-21) as a senior, the most by a Hobart player since Cabell Maddux ’94 scored 71 in 1993.

Softening that blow is the return of senior Nate Hill. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, he was named a preseason All-ECAC Lacrosse League selection on the strength of his 22 goals and 26 assists. One of only five Statesmen to score 100 career points (46-60-106) at the Division I level, Hill is just 32 points behind Jamie Breslin ’01 (92-46-138), the top scoring DI Statesman.

Junior Mike Conklin has firmly established his goal-scoring prowess. Over the past two seasons, no current Statesman has more goals (42). He will be called on to help fill the void left by Williamson’s departure. In 2004, Conklin developed a knack for scoring against Hobart’s toughest opponents, scoring 11 of his 24 goals against top-10 teams.

The final starting spot on attack will be filled by either senior Sean Reed or first-year Daryl Veltman (Salisbury School/Georgetown, Ontario). Reed has seen limited action through his first three seasons, but he redoubled his training regimen and has enjoyed a strong preseason, while Veltman, who helped the Canadian U-19 team to a second place finish at the 2003 World Championships with 12 points in six games, comes to campus after a postgraduate year at the Salisbury School.

Junior Hunter Campbell and sophomores Rory Melvin and Mike Steele add to the depth on attack.

SCHEDULE
Coach Kerwick’s troops will tangle with a veritable who’s who of college lacrosse. The Statesmen will face off with eight teams ranked in the preseason top-25, including No. 2 Syracuse (March 29), No. 6 Georgetown (March 19), No. 9 Cornell (May 6), and No. 14 Ohio State (March 12).

The power-packed ECAC Lacrosse League, arguably the toughest conference in lacrosse, will afford Hobart little chance for rest. In addition to the Hoyas, the Statesmen will have conference battles against 12th-ranked Rutgers (March 26), 15th-ranked Massachusetts, 17th-ranked Loyola, and No. 21 Penn State.

A trip to Baltimore and a non-conference skirmish with Butler will kick off the season on Feb. 26. The Statesmen will meet the Bulldogs at St. Paul’s School at 1 p.m.

While many of Hobart’s traditional rivals remain on the schedule, the Statesmen also will welcome four new foes to the slate: Binghamton (March 5), Robert Morris (March 15), Fairfield (April 2), and St. John’s (April 23). Following a five-year hiatus, the Statesmen and Canisius Golden Griffins will renew their I-90 rivalry.

Hobart closes out its 103rd varsity season at Cornell. The oldest rivalry in collegiate lacrosse, the Statesmen and Big Red will tussle for the 125th time.