March 7, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College athletic teams earned their nickname, the Statesmen, in the early part of the 20th century for taking a lengthy road trip at a time when college teams didn’t travel far for contests. The Lacrosse Statesmen will once again be living up to their nickname, serving as ambassadors of the game on March 11, in San Antonio.

Hobart will faceoff with sixth-ranked Georgetown at 4:30 p.m. CST (5:30 p.m. EST) at the Texas Military Institute’s Fondren Stadium. The game will mark the first time Division I lacrosse programs have squared of in Texas in more than 30 years.

The spring break game was first proposed by Hobart alumnus Dave Cole ’59. He approached Hobart Head Coach Matt Kerwick ’90 and Georgetown Head Coach Dave Urick. The two, who were looking for an open date for their game, quickly warmed to the idea, and agreed to head to the Southwest.

The Statesmen will arrive in Texas on March 8, practicing at TMI in the days leading up to the contest.

“This is a great opportunity for our program and for lacrosse,” Kerwick said. “This trip gives us the chance to take our kids to an area of the country that they wouldn’t normally see during their lacrosse travels. Additionally, it gives the people of the San Antonio area the opportunity to see what lacrosse is all about.”

The Statesmen enter the game with a 2-0 record, boasting wins over Butler 13-3 and Holy Cross 15-4. Senior attackman John Bogosian (Kent School/Massena, N.Y.) leads the team in scoring with seven goals and three assists, while senior goalie Mike Borsz (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) has backstopped a defense that is allowing just 3.5 goals per game.

The Hoyas posted a season-opening win over Cornell 13-6, and will face Penn State on March 8. Georgetown erased a 2-1 halftime deficit thanks to the four-goal, three-assist performance of junior Neal Goldman.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION: Georgetown is coached by lacrosse legend Dave Urick, who led Hobart to 10 consecutive NCAA Division III National Championships between 1980 and 1989. As a student-athlete at Hobart, Kerwick played three seasons for Urick. The duo teamed up again in 1999, when Kerwick joined the Georgetown coaching staff as Urick’s assistant. In their first meeting as opposing coaches, the teacher topped the student, 8-7, in a thriller at Hobart’s Boswell Field on April 13, 2002.