August 11 , 2006

The Hobart Statesmen became just the third men’s lacrosse team in NCAA history to reach the 700-win plateau with a 12-7 victory over St. John’s University on April 22, 2006. That momentous occasion and the slow pace of the summer offered an opportunity to look back on some of the greatest moments in the history of Hobart lacrosse.

With a history as steeped in championship tradition as Hobart’s, any listing is certain to leave out not just one or two great moments, but dozens. This list is by no means comprehensive, nor is it in any particular order. If I’ve omitted your favorite memory, please send it to debolt@hws.edu. I’ll update this page from time-to-time and who knows, maybe someday this single page will grow into that book sitting on your coffee table.

April 22, 2006: Hobart Joins The 700 Club

The Statesmen used a 4-0 run midway through the first half to open up a five-goal lead on the St. John’s Red Storm. The Hobart defense made the advantage stick, blanking the visitors to Boswell Field over the final 11 minutes of a 12-7 win. The victory was the 700th for the Hobart lacrosse program, putting the Statesmen in the elite company of Johns Hopkins and Syracuse universities, the only other men’s lacrosse teams to reach that milestone.

April 5, 1898: The Journey Of Seven Hundred Wins...

Begins with a single victory. Hobart took that step in its very first game, defeating Cornell 2-1. Most of the names from that day have long since been forgotten, but one still remains, Dr. Joseph Leighton. The father of Hobart lacrosse (as well as the lacrosse programs at Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell) introduced the sport in Geneva and served as the first coach, leading the Statesmen to victory on that day so long ago.

1927: The Babe Takes The Reins

While George Ruth was leading the Yankees’ famed Murderers’ Row, another Babe, Francis Kraus ’24, was beginning his tenure as Hobart’s lacrosse coach. Over the next 37 years, he guided the Statesmen to victory 208 times against just 119 loses and five ties. Kraus coached Hobart to a pair of undefeated seasons in 1938 (6-0) and 1940 (5-0). The National Lacrosse Hall of Famer was such a larger-than-life figure in the game that the Division III Coach of the Year Award is presented annually in his honor.

May 1974: Towson State 18, Hobart 17 (OT)

While the Statesmen’s first trip to an NCAA championship game did not go the way they had hoped, it was significant for another reason. It marked the final game in the illustrious career of Rick Gilbert ’74. Hobart’s all-time leading scorer had a hand in 444 points during his career, netting 157 and setting up 287 more. The four-time All-American (three times first-team) is one of only two Statesmen to record 100 points in a season (Terry Corcoran ’78 is the other). As a sophomore, Gilbert scored an astronomical 122 points (47-75), far surpassing the single season mark he had established just a year before (38-53-91) and well beyond the record prior to his arrival on campus (John Topichak ’71, 65-22-87 in 1969).

May 1976, May 1977: Two Titles In Division II

Between 1974 and 1978, one thing was certain, the Hobart lacrosse team would play for the National Championship. The Statesmen earned five consecutive trips to the title tilt and, in 1976, under the leadership of Head Coach Jerry Schmidt, Hobart won its first NCAA crown. The Statesmen doubled up Adelphi 18-9 in the championship game. The following year, Hobart erupted for 23 goals in a 10-goal win over Washington College behind the tournament’s leading scorer, Roy McAdam ’80, who scored a then tournament record 21 points over four games. Hobart is the only program to win more than 75 percent of its playoff contests in Division II (13-4, .765).

May 1980-May 1991: The Streak

In 1980, the Statesmen christened the inaugural NCAA Division III Tournament with a record-setting performance: racing past MIT in the quarterfinal round 37-1. The lopsided affair resulted in a slew of records that still stand today: most goals in a game, fewest goals allowed in a game, most assists in a game (24), and most shots in a game (106). Two games later—an 11-8 win over Cortland—made Hobart the first program to win an NCAA Championship in two different divisions. The next season seemed a bit like déjà vu, as the Statesmen defeated the Red Dragons for their second straight championship. In fact, Hobart was so dominant in the new division, the Statesmen won its first 12 championships, producing a record of 36-0 in the postseason. Before the Puple and Orange left for the bright lights of Division I following the 1994 season, Hobart secured 13 Division III Championships, had 12 Statesmen earn the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award, and posted a sterling 42-2 (.955) all-time playoff record. The streak is unparalleled in collegiate lacrosse and Hobart’s success rate is more than 100 percentage points better than the second winningest team in Division III.

April 26, 2000: Hobart 18, Lehigh 11

After more than a century as an independent, the Statesmen joined the Patriot League in 2000 and promptly won the league championship. Hobart secured its first conference crown with an 18-11 win at Lehigh. The title gave the Statesmen the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, making Hobart just the second program to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament in all three divisions. Jamie Breslin ’01 registered eight points (6-2) in the win, raised his career total to 100 (66-34), and earned the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award. By the time the New Jersey native left campus with his bachelor’s degree, he was the all-time leading scorer among Division I Statesmen. Hobart won a second Patriot League title in 2002, before jumping to the elite ECAC Lacrosse League in 2005.

May 6, 2005: Climbing To The Top Of The Hill

Playing in his final collegiate game, Nate Hill ’05 records an assist against Cornell to complete his career with 64 goals and 79 assists. His 143 points are the most by a Division I Statesman and rank 18th overall, while his 79 helpers also are the top mark for Hobart’s DI laxmen and rank 10th overall.

May 8, 1991: A Changing Of The Guard

Senior Bill Miller ’91 ended the 1991 regular season with 162 career goals, one shy of the record held by B.J. O’Hara ’75. In the NCAA Quarterfinals, Miller needed less than eight minutes against the Clarkson defense to surge to the top of the list. At the 5:42 mark, he matched O’Hara’s total and less than two minutes later claimed the top spot for himself. Miller went on to score a game-high six goals in the win over the Golden Knights. He notched three more against Nazareth in the semifinal round and struck twice in a 12-11 championship win over Salisbury. Miller’s storybook career included four national championships and three first-team All-America selections. He graduated first in career goals (173) and second in career points (318) and career assists (145).

May 21, 1969: John Topichak 14, Brockport 7

Future Hobart Hall of Famer John Topichak ’71 outscored the entire Golden Eagle squad by a two-to-one margin. He finished the day with a Statesmen single game record 14 goals as Hobart ran away with a 26-7 victory.

1950: Otto On Rapid Fire

Otto Berk ’52 enjoyed a typical career as a Hobart lacrosse player. He lettered twice during his time on campus, but never received national recognition for his efforts on the field. However, for one 54-second stretch, Berk played like an All-American. During the 1950 season finale against Union College, he became the answer to a trivia question: Who scored the fastest three goals in Hobart history? Berk scorched the Dutchmen for a hat trick in just 54 seconds as Hobart went on to win 24-12.

March 28, 2006: Kraus-Simmons Trophy Returns To Geneva

The biggest win of the 2006 season was without question a 9-8 triumph over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Nick Currie ’08 scored the eventual game-winner and Mike DeSantis ’06 stood tall in the cage (career-high 16 saves) as Hobart recaptured the Kraus-Simmons Trophy for the first time since 1986.