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Kirk leads nation in assists
March 28, 2007
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National assists leader Jamie Kirk |
GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College junior attackman Jamie Kirk (Salisbury School/Orangeville, Ontario) leads all Division I men’s lacrosse players in assists according to the latest NCAA statistics report. At the midway point of the season, he’s tops in the nation, averaging 3.43 assists per game.
Through seven games, Kirk has five goals and 24 assists. He needs just two more assists to match Hobart’s Division I record, established by Nate Hill ’05 in 2004. Kirk is tied for the team lead and seventh in the nation in points per game (4.14).
Teammates since high school, junior attackman Daryl Veltman (Salisbury School/Georgetown, Ontario) has been Kirk’s primary target this season. Veltman boasts an ECAC League-leading 23 goals and is averaging 3.29 per game, third in the nation. The Tewaaraton Award candidate is tied with Kirk for the team-lead in points.
Thanks in no small part to the Canadian Connection, Hobart is fifth in the nation in scoring offense (12.0 gpg) and third in man-up offense (.563, 9-of-16).
The Statesmen have collected an ECAC-leading 41.0 ground balls per game, 2.5 more than any other team in the conference, thanks to the All-American caliber efforts of sophomore defensive midfielder Matt Smalley (Avon Old Farms/Cumberland, R.I.) and senior long-stick midfielder Matt Ranaghan (Cape Elizabeth/Cape Elizabeth, Maine). Smalley leads the team with 45 and ranks seventh in the nation, averaging 6.43. Ranaghan isn’t far behind, collecting 41 for an average of 5.86 (10th in the nation).
Hobart (3-4, 0-2 ECAC) is back in action on March 31, when the Statesmen host No. 17 Fairfield (5-1, 1-1). Faceoff on McCooey Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Fans can follow all of the action online by clicking on the live coverage link on the Hobart schedule page.