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Hobart
ends regular season with win over Cornell
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Mark Williamson fires home the game-winning goal
against ninth-ranked Cornell with less than two minutes remaining
in the fourth quarter. The 12-10 win gave Hobart nine wins in a
season for the first time since moving to Division I in 1995. |
May 7, 2004
GENEVA, N.Y.—Senior attackman Mark Williamson (Corning East/Corning, N.Y.) scored his team-leading 33rd goal of the season with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter to break a 10-all tie and propel the 17th-ranked Hobart College lacrosse team to a 12-10 victory over ninth-ranked Cornell University.
A perfectly executed takeaway near midfield by first-year defenseman Chris Keough (Hicksville/Hicksville, N.Y.) and a heads-up pass left Williamson with one man to beat.
“I looked up and [the Cornell defender] was playing me to the inside so I said, ‘I’ve got to take this lane,’ and sprinted right to the cage,” Williamson said. “The slide was coming so I had to hurry. There was an opening in the lower left and I just dropped it in.”
Junior attackman Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.) added an open net score as the Big Red attempted to regain possession with 45 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
The win improves Hobart’s record to 9-6 overall, the most wins in a season for the program since it moved to Division I in 1995. It’s also Hobart’s second win over a top-10 team in that time frame. The first was against seventh-ranked Cornell on April 18, 2000 (14-10).
An electric atmosphere, McCooey Field was filled beyond capacity with hundreds of fans sitting on the hillside overlooking the field and a couple hundred more lining the fence at field level and beyond the gate. The record crowd of 3,116 was treated to an amazing display of drama and excitement.
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Mike Conklin scored twice against the Big Red. |
Cornell (8-4) broke a 3-all tie midway through the second quarter with three straight tallies, including back-to-back scores by junior attackman Kevin Nee (Taft School/Canton, N.Y.). However, the Statesmen managed the final two tallies of the frame to creep back within one, 6-5, heading into halftime.
The Big Red staked itself to a two-goal advantage at the 6:30 mark of the third quarter on the second of Sean Greenhaulgh’s (Holy Cross/St. Catherines, Onatrio) game-high four goals.
Senior midfielder Brian Joy (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) erased that lead with back-to-back goals 75 seconds apart. With 2:07 remaining in the third quarter, junior midfielder Nate Molinari (Oswego/Oswego, N.Y.) put Hobart in front for the first time since the first quarter.
Grenhaulgh even the contest with 33 ticks left in the third quarter with Cornell’s second shot of the period.
Trailing by two midway through the final frame thanks to goals by sophomore attackman Mike Conklin (West Genesee/Syracuse, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Pat Meade (Schenectady/Schenectady, N.Y.), Cornell pulled within one at the 7:18 mark thanks to Greenhaulgh and evened the contest for the sixth and final time with 2:53 remaining. This time Nee did the honors, netting his 23rd goal of the year on a two-man advantage.
Hobart could have run away with the contest, if not for outstanding play of goalie Matt McMonagle (Episcopal School/Bryn Mawr, Pa.). The first-year recorded a season-high 19 saves. Junior goalie Dan Valente (Mt. Hebron/Ellicott City, Md.) made 10 stops for the Statesmen.
Joy and Meade led Hobart with three goals apiece, while Williamson added two goals and an assist. Hill chipped in three points (1-2) as well and moved into 14th place on the Statesmen’s career-assist list, tying Mark Darcangelo ’82.
Cornell (8-4) won the Ivy League Championship and its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while Hobart finished second in the Patriot League and must hope for an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee. The brackets are scheduled to be announced on ESPNews on May 10, around 3:40 p.m.