March 12, 2005

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The 17th-ranked Hobart College lacrosse team scored four goals in the fourth quarter, including three in the final 2:09, to earn a 9-6 comeback victory over Ohio State University this afternoon on North Turf Field. The Statesmen scored five extra-man goals remain unbeaten on the year.

Trailing 5-2 at halftime, the Statesmen (3-0) controlled the action in the third and fourth quarters, outscoring the 19th-ranked Buckeyes 7-1 during the 30-minute stretch, including four man-up goals. First-year Daryl Veltman (Salisbury/Georgetown, Ontario) jump-started the Hobart comeback just 55 seconds into the third frame with the first of his game-high three goals. Senior attacker Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.) provided the assist.

Ohio State’s (1-3) Ben Wolff (Owing Mills, Md.) pushed its lead back to three at the 10:10 mark, but it was all Statesmen after that, as Hobart tallied six unanswered to finish the game.

Veltman added a pair of man-up scores to close out the third quarter, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead to one to start the final 15 minutes. Sophomore Justin Porter (Salisbury/Geneva, N.Y.) and senior Sean Reed (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) assisted on the goals, respectively.

Looking to avenge the loss to Ohio State last season—the Buckeyes came back from nine goals down to win in overtime—Statesmen sophomore Rory Melvin (Episcopal Academy/Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and senior Chris Scanlon (Corning West/Painted Post, N.Y.) hooked up to tie the score just 1:50 into the final frame with Hobart’s third straight man-up goal.

The Statesmen and Buckeyes battled back and forth, combining for 14 shots, over the next 10 minutes, but it was sophomore Chris Keough (Hicksville/Hicksville, N.Y.) who finally broke through scoring what proved to be the game-winner with 2:09 left to play.

Veltman drove to the cage and fired a shot wide left of the goal where Keough was standing. The ball bounced on the turf, hitting Keough and bouncing past Ohio State goaltender Mike Rimmer (Melville, N.Y.) for a 7-6 Hobart lead.

Junior Mike Conklin (West Genesee/Syracuse, N.Y.) and Hill added two more goals 34 seconds apart to ice the Statesmen victory.

Ohio State came out of the gates on fire, scoring four first-quarter goals and holding Hobart scoreless for the first 27 minutes of the contest. Kevin Buchanan (Cockeysville, Md.) notched the Buckeyes’ lone score in the second stanza to give Ohio State a 5-2 lead at halftime.

Wolf led Ohio State with three points on two goals and one assist.

The Statesmen outshot Ohio State 41-27 and finished 5-of-13 on extra man opportunities. Defensively, Hobart was outstanding, holding the Buckeyes scoreless on six extra man chances.

In the cage, senior goaltender Dan Valente (Mount Hebron/Ellicott City, Md.) made 12 saves, eight of which came in the second half. Rimmer made stop after stop, corralling 19 stops for Ohio State.

Hobart returns to action on March 15, against Robert Morris at 5:30 p.m. That game will be played at Fox Chapel High School in Pittsburgh, Pa.