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Hobart to honor 1972 lacrosse team
March 16, 2007
GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College and the Statesmen Athletic Association (SAA) will honor the 1972 Hobart lacrosse team on April 14 as part of the Lacrosse Letterman Weekend. The 1972 team will be named a Hobart College Team of Distinction, recognizing their successful 17-1-0 season that culminated in a USILA National Championship, making them the first Statesmen team to win a national title.
The 1972 squad featured five All-Americans in Dave Creighton ’72, Bob Raleigh ’73, Rick Gilbert ’74, Greg Hughan ’72, and Tom Gaggin ’72, and produced five current Hobart Hall of Fame members: Don Aleksiewicz ’73, B.J. O’Hara ’75, Creighton, Gilbert, and Raleigh. Together, the team recorded a +9.89 scoring margin and registered 17 wins, the most in the history of the program.
Gilbert, Hobart’s all-time leading scorer with 444 career points, led the Statesmen offense in 1972 with a Hobart single-season record 122 points. He was the first Statesman to score 100 points in a season, and reached that mark three times in his career. To date, only one other Hobart player has done so.
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Front: Greg Hughan, Jim Brennan, Bill Martancik, A.J. Russo, Dave Creighton, Tim Anderson, Tom Gaggin, Jim Barysh, Loren Stockton. Second Row: John Basso, Denny Harrison, Bob Raleigh, Ken Mason, John VanEtten. Third Row: Rich Rubin, Jim Kraus, Mike Kerwan, Rich Calver, Dave Williams. Fourth Row: Rick Gilbert, Bill DiMenna, Jeremy Foley, Andy Perry, B.J. O’Hara, Kevin McCarthy. Fifth Row: Turner Hansel, Chris Green, Mike McAnaney, Tom Moffitt, Leo Dinan, Kevin McLean. Top Row: Assistant Coach Dave Urick, Athletic Trainer Joe Abraham, Head Coach Jerry Schmidt, Scout Dave Gordon, Assistant Manager Bill Hosking, Assistant Athletic Trainer Walter Hayes, Head Manager Roger Frankel. Not present: Don Aleksiewicz, Read Schroder. |
The Team of Distinction award was created in 2006 by the SAA Board of Directors to honor selected teams for their outstanding athletic achievements and for their contributions to the tradition of Hobart Athletics. The first Statesmen teams to receive this honor were the undefeated lacrosse teams of 1938 and 1940, and the undefeated football teams of 1954 and 1957.
Teams are eligible for the Team of Distinction award 10 years after the completion of their season. Recognized teams usually have won a conference, regional, or national championship, have recorded an undefeated season, have overcome exceptional challenges during their season, or were considered to be one of the “very best Hobart teams ever” in their respective sport.
The team of 1972 will be celebrated at halftime of the Hobart lacrosse game vs. Massachusetts, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. Team members will receive a specially designed cut glass award, and their team photo will be permanently displayed in the Hobart College Trophy Lobby in Robert A. Bristol ’31 Gymnasium.