March 15, 2005

Dan Valente made 12 saves at Ohio State and earned his second ECAC Defensive Player of the Week award. (Photo by Ken DeBolt)

GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart senior goalie Dan Valente (Mt. Hebron/Ellicott City, Md.) picked up his second ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week award this season after leading the Statesmen past Ohio State on Saturday. The 9-6 come-from-behind win over the then 19th-ranked Buckeyes helped Hobart move up one spot in the USILA Geico/STX Coaches Poll to No. 16.

Valente put the clamps down on Ohio State, recording 12 saves. OSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but he allowed just a single tally in both the second and third quarters, shutting out the home team over the final 20 minutes of the contest. Valente finished the game with eight second half saves and lowered his goals against average to 6.67.

Valente leads the ECAC Lacrosse League in save percentage (.683) and is tied for second in goals against average.

At 3-0, the Statesmen are off to their best start since 2001. With a win tonight at first-year varsity program Robert Morris, Hobart would be 4-0 for the first time since 1998. Faceoff with the Colonials is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., at Fox Chapel High School’s Burk Stadium in northeast Pittsburgh.

The Statesmen return to Geneva at 1 p.m., on March 19, when fifth-ranked Georgetown University visits McCooey Field.

Both games will be aired live by WEOS-FM (89.7/90.3 in Geneva, 88.1 in Ithaca). Those outside the broadcast area can listen to the games via the Internet by visiting the Hobart lacrosse schedule page and clicking on the “live audio” or “live coverage” links next to the appropriate game.