Sophomore Mike Conklin is the top returning scorer from 2003 after finishing the year with 18 goals and five assists.

January 5, 2004

GENEVA, N.Y.—The 2004 Hobart College lacrosse schedule looks daunting at first glance as six of the Statesmen’s 13 opponents this season are ranked in the Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll.

Playing their first five games on the road, including consecutive games at No. 14 Navy (March 16) and No. 8 Georgetown (March 20), Hobart opens its home slate on March 27, against Patriot League opponent Lafayette. The Statesmen will then make the short trip to fourth-ranked Syracuse (March 30) before returning to Geneva for a four-game home stand during which they will host Patriot League rivals Bucknell (April 3) and Colgate (April 7) and No. 17 Penn State (April 10) and No. 20 Ohio State (April 17). Hobart closes out its season on home turf on May 7, against ninth-ranked Cornell.

Under the direction of third-year Head Coach Matt Kerwick, the Statesmen return 31 letterwinners, including six starters, from the 2003 team that finished 5-8 overall and 4-2 in Patriot League action. A second-team All-Patriot League honoree, junior attacker Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.) joins sophomore Mike Conklin (West Genesee/Syracuse, N.Y.) and senior Mark Williamson (Corning East/Corning, N.Y.) as the top returners on offense, combining for nearly a third of the team’s points last season. Juniors Chet Braun (Smoky Hill/Denver, Colo.) and Greg McCarthy (Pinkerton Academy/Derry, N.H.), and sophomore Matt Murphy (Haverford School/Havertown, Pa.) come back as the Statesmen’s top defensemen.

Patriot League champions in 2000 and 2002, Hobart opens the year on Feb. 28, against Butler at St. Paul’s School in Baltimore, Md. at 2:30 p.m. The following week the Statesmen begin conference play, traveling to Holy Cross for a 1 p.m. contest. A complete schedule can be found on line. For information on season tickets, contact Patty Cala at (315) 781-3077 or at cala@hws.edu.