A first-team All-Region selection junior Micke Subotowicz led all Statesmen scorers last year with 34 points on 12 goals and 10 assists. (Photo by Kevin Colton/SPORTSPICS.NET)

August 20, 2004

GENEVA, N.Y.—The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place for the Hobart College soccer team during the 2003 season as the Statesmen ran their record to 14-7-1, one win shy of the school record. With 16 players who started at least one game last season returning, Statesmen Head Coach Shawn Griffin believes the puzzle will be even more complete this year with the addition of a few important newcomers to the 2004 squad.

Micke Subotowicz (Farsta Gymnasium/Stockholm, Sweden) and Ricky Klotz (Homer/Cortland, N.Y.) paced the offense that broke the school record for goals in a season (50), totaling a combined 26 goals and 15 assists for 67 points. Subotowicz was named the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year and earned NSCAA first-team All-Region honors, while Klotz was a first-team All-Liberty League selection and a third-team All-Region honoree.

Klotz will anchor the front line for the Statesmen again. A powerful and athletic target, he is dangerous both in the air and running at defenders. His running mate up top could be a variety of players. Subotowicz could see time as an attacker or central midfielder. A dynamic and technical player, Subotowicz has the ability to make great things happen in any third of the field.

Junior transfer Chris Rogers (Hebron Academy/Marietta, Ga.) and junior John Rosenbaum (Ostra Reals Gymnasium/Solna, Sweden) also will see quality minutes as attackers. Rogers’ size (6-1, 195) and ability to run at the defense will make him an impact player up top, while Rosenbaum’s knack for finishing and forcing defenders into making mistakes makes the Hobart front line a potent one. Junior Ben Polk (Western Reserve Academy/West Hartford, Conn.) will add depth and a strong aerial game to the attack.

The middle third of the field is by far the Statesmen’s deepest. Returning six players who started at least four games to the midfield, including two of the Statesmen’s top four scorers in Eduardo Ponce deLeon (Northfield Mt. Hermon School/Puebla, Mexico) and Dan Abroms (Pomfret School/New Canaan, Conn.), and adding numerous solid players to the mix, the midfield will be a talent-laden lineup.

Running on the flanks will be senior Juan Vargas (Del Valle/El Paso, Texas) and Ponce deLeon. The Statesmen’s most technically gifted player, Vargas often leaves defenders frustrated and with their feet tangled as he beats them down the sidelines. Ponce de Leon showed marked improvement last season and with his increased confidence and technical skill he is expected to have a strong impact in the midfield.

Also seeing time on the outside will be junior Matt Vesonder (Mountain Lakes/Boonton Township, N.J.). Spending most of last season as an outside back, his playmaking ability and defensive skills make him an interchangeable player in either the back or running on the sidelines in the midfield.

Abroms will anchor the center midfield spot, while Subotowicz, and sophomores Ben Crosky (Mount Greylock/Williamstown, Mass.) and Tucker Crockett (Episcopal Academy/Rosemont, Pa.) also could see time in the middle. Possessing a good soccer sense and vision as a central player, Abroms can add a scoring punch from the midfield.

Crosky and Crockett will solidify the defensive midfield. After a year under his belt, Crosky has added strength and has the potential to be a key in the midfield, while Crockett has the size and athleticism to be a strong presence in either a defensive midfielder or center back role. The Hobart midfield also will benefit from the technical abilities of first-year Brad Weinberg. At 5-foot-6, he plays much bigger and will battle hard at the central position.

With a veteran lineup up top and in the midfield, the sole question mark for Hobart this season may be its defense. After giving up a league-high 32 goals last season, the Statesmen are looking for more consistency defensively. The loss of center back Farid Hafsia will leave big shoes to fill, but the return of senior Christian Buestad, sophomore Mike Thompson (Clinton/Clinton, N.Y.), and the addition of some new faces assures that the back line will be a solid group.

Thompson showed improvement in the off season and added muscle will make him a potential starter in the back. First-year Kamal Haruna (Martin Luther King/Bronx, N.Y.), the New York City High School Player of the Year, has the ability to step in and play a major role right away, while classmate Harris Goldman (Morris Hills/Rockaway, N.J.) should see many minutes as an outside defender.

The choice in goal will be another tough one to make this season as first-years Ben Tamberella (St. Peter's Prep/Hoboken, N.J.) and Nils Lowgren (Ostra Reals Gymnasium/Stockholm, Sweden) will battle for the starting nod.

The Statesmen open the season on Labor Day weekend, hosting Geneseo State on Sept. 4 and Kings Point on Sept. 5. Both contests are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Featuring five home Liberty League contests, including league rival St. Lawrence on the final weekend, Hobart is poised to make its third consecutive appearance in the conference tournament in November.