March 23, 2002

BETHLEHEM, Pa.—The Hobart College lacrosse team used a series of long runs to knock out Lehigh University, 14-9, for its second straight Patriot League victory. The Statesmen got a career-high four goals from senior midfielder Dave Spratlen (Colorado Academy/Littleton, Colo.) and three goals from senior attackman Scott Harvey (Suffern/Cornwall, N.Y.) to lead the offense.

Hobart came out firing, but it was the Mountain Hawks that got on the board first. First-year attackman Andrew Lucas gave Lehigh their only lead just 1:36 into the contest. Harvey tied the game at the 5:18 mark, the first of three straight Statesmen tallies. First-year attackman Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.) gave Hobart the lead for good a minute later and sophomore attackman Dan Cesere (Holderness School/Concord, N.H.) scored with 1:20 remaining in the quarter. Lehigh cut the lead to one with 41 seconds left, but wouldn’t get any closer.

The Mountain Hawks were flagged for a three-minute stick violation to open the second quarter. The penalty ignited a five-goal Hobart run. Sophomore attackman T.J. Rogers (Canandaigua/Canandaigua, N.Y.) converted on the man advantage just 36 seconds into the quarter. Spratlen scored his first of the day on an extra man opportunity a minute later. Harvey sandwiched two goals around Spratlen’s second of the contest to complete his hat trick and give the Statesmen an 8-2 advantage with 4:25 left in the half. Lehigh closed the second quarter scoring at the 2:33 mark, but trailed by five after two quarters.

Lucas scored an extra-man goal to close to within four at 12:48 of the third quarter, but Hobart responded with four goals in a 3:33 span. Junior captain Tim Booth (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) scored 24 seconds later and junior attackman John Bogosian (Kent School/Massena, N.Y.) made it a six-goal game at the 11:20 mark. Spratlen netted his third 32 seconds after Bogosian and junior attackman Kris Shore (Liverpool/Liverpool, N.Y.) scored an extra-man goal with 9:15 remaining in the quarter for an eight-goal advantage. After a Lehigh goal, Spratlen scored his fourth on the man advantage for a 13-5 lead at the 5:22 mark.

The Mountain Hawks netted four of the last five goals, but it wasn’t enough as they dropped the 14-9 decision. Cesere notched his second marker of the day to close Hobart’s scoring in the fourth quarter with 12:17 left.

In goal, junior Mike Borsz (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) stopped seven shots in 51 for the win before giving way to first-year Dan Valente (Mount Hebron/Ellicott City, Md.), who made three saves in relief. First-year Tom Ellis stopped 17 shots for Lehigh (1-4, 0-1 PL).

The Statesmen held the advantage in shots (70-30), ground balls (55-35), and faceoffs (17-9). Hobart was 4-of-10 on extra man opportunities, while the Mountain Hawks were just 2-of-8.

The Statesmen (3-2, 2-1 PL) travel to top-ranked Syracuse University (5-1) on March 27, for a 7:30 p.m., faceoff.