April 6, 2002

GENEVA, N.Y.—For the first time since 1968, the Penn State University lacrosse team earned a victory in Geneva over Hobart College thanks to first-year midfielder Will Jones’ goal with 1:14 remaining in overtime. The game was the 17th to be decided by just a single goal in the 52 meetings between the two schools.

The Nittany Lions (5-4) took their first lead of the second half with 37 seconds remaining, breaking a 9-all tie on senior attackman Will Driscoll’s (Fairport, N.Y.) sixth goal of the afternoon. Hobart junior midfielder Tim Booth (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) won the ensuing faceoff and charged into the Penn State defensive zone. He fired a quick pass to senior attackman Scott Harvey (Suffern/Cornwall, N.Y.), who tied the game with 31 seconds remaining. Harvey led Hobart (5-4) with three goals.

“That was our best effort of the season and I’m extremely proud of our guys,” Hobart Head Coach Matt Kerwick said. “We didn’t come out on the right end of this one, but we’ll take this and learn from it.”

The loss put a damper on a spectacular effort by junior goalie Mike Borsz (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.). He finished with a career-high 25 saves, including several on shots from point-blank range.

“He was unbelievable,” Kerwick said. “That was one of the best goalie performances I’ve ever seen.”

A nip-and-tuck contest from start to finish, the game was tied five times, with three lead changes, and neither team led by more than two goals.

Two of the biggest plays of the game were made by Penn State junior midfielder Rob Booth (Gladwyne, Pa.). Hobart junior John Bogosian (Kent School/Massena, N.Y.) scored six second before halftime, giving the Statesmen a 7-5 lead. Booth won the ensuing faceoff and fired a shot from 10-yards outside of the restraining box. Borsz was partially screened on the shot, and it crossed the goal line just before the horn sounded.

Booth’s second big play came on the faceoff to start overtime. While Hobart’s Booth won the draw, PSU’s Booth tracked him down, knocked the ball loose, and gave the Nittany Lions possession. Five Penn State shots later, Jones struck for the game-winner.

Junior Chris Garrity (Annapolis, Md.) made 11 saves to earn the win.

The Nittany Lions outshot Hobart 58-45, but the Statesmen held a 45-34 advantage on ground balls and a 15-9 edge in faceoffs. Hobart’s Booth was a major factor in the later two stats, winning 13-of-22 faceoffs and picking up a team-high nine ground balls.

The Statesmen wrap up their four-game homestand at 1 p.m., on April 13, when they host fifth-ranked Georgetown.