Mike Borsz '03

Tim Booth '03

March 22, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College defense continued its strong showing over Patriot League opponents, limiting visiting Lehigh University to just three even trength goals, as the Statesmen topped the Mountain Hawks 9-4 at AstroTurf Stadium in front of 1,153 fans this afternoon. Senior goalie Mike Borsz (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) went the distance and earned the win with 11 saves.

“Our defense did an outstanding job against a solid offensive team,” Hobart Head Coach Matt Kerwick ’90 said. “I feel we played very well offensively at times, we just didn’t finish all of our opportunities. With the two opponents we have next week [Syracuse March 25, at Bucknell March 29], we’re going to need our defense to continue to step up.”

Hobart’s defense limited Lehigh’s top two scorers—senior Tony Lowe (Ward Melville/Setauket, N.Y.) and sophomore Andrew Lucas (Oceanside/Baldwin, N.Y.) entered the game averaging a combined four goals per game—to one goal apiece. The Mountain Hawks also struggled to solve Hobart’s man-down defense, taking advantage of just 1-of-9 extra-man opportunities.

While the Statesmen may not have produced as many goals as Kerwick would have liked, it wasn’t because of a lack of opportunities. Senior midfielder Tim Booth (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) dominated the faceoff X, winning 11-of-15 restarts and collecting a game-high 11 ground balls.

The Statesmen offense got off to a fast start. First-year midfielder Patrick Meade (Schenectady/Schenectady, N.Y.) rifled home a shot at the 11:24 mark. Senior John Bogosian (Kent School/Massena, N.Y.) made it a two-goal game less than two minutes later, and Meade added his second tally just 10 seconds before the end of the opening frame.

In the second quarter, Lucas got Lehigh (3-4, 0-1 PL) on the board just 18 seconds into the stanza. The goal halted Borsz’s shutout streak against Patriot League opponents, dating back to the 2002 Holy Cross game, at 102 minutes, 29 seconds.

Bogosian responded with a man-up goal, assisted by sophomore midfielder Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.). Lowe scored 33 seconds later, but senior midfielder Sean Kent (LaSalle/Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) answered with his second goal of the season to send Hobart (4-1, 3-0 PL) into the break with a 5-2 lead.

The third quarter saw Bogosian sandwich a pair of goals around a Lehigh tally to give the Statesmen a 7-3 lead with 15 minute remaining. With four goals and an assist, he raised his team-leading point total to 21 (16-5).

The Mountain Hawks continued to hang around, closing to within three, 7-4, at the 13:05 mark of the fourth on a man-up goal by junior midfielder Kurt Gerry (Ward Melville/Stony Brook, N.Y.). Senior long-stick midfielder Bryan Bome (Marcellus/Syracuse, N.Y.) iced the game with his first collegiate goal at 7:08, and Hill added the final goal of the afternoon 15 seconds before the final horn.

Sophomore goalie Tom Ellis (St. Pauls/Timonium, Md.) made 16 saves for Lehigh.

Hobart returns to action on March 25, when Syracuse visits Geneva for a 7 p.m. start.