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Statesmen
end season with victory over Blue Devils
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Junior Dan Abroms netted the game-winner to lead
the Statesmen to victory over Fredonia 2-1. |
November 1, 2003
GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College scored two first half goals to beat visiting Fredonia State 2-1 in the men’s soccer regular season finale this afternoon on Cozzens Field. This marks just the sixth time in the program’s history the Statesmen have captured at least 13 wins in a season.
It didn’t take long for the Statesmen (13-5-1) to jump out in front of the Blue Devils, getting a goal less than eight minutes into the game. Junior Alex Coates (Avon Old Farms/Belvedere, Calif.) took a Juan Vargas (Del Valle/El Paso, Texas) pass at the top of the box and hit a rocket past the goalkeeper, skimming the crossbar and bouncing down into the goal.
Hobart continued to generate scoring chances, but it was Fredonia (10-5-3) who got on board next when Matt Mahaffey (Frontier/Lakeview, N.Y.) capitalized on a rebound off a great initial save by Carl Fried (Nacka Gymnasium/Alta, Sweden) on Michael Mace’s (Elmira Notre Dame/Elmira, N.Y.) shot in the 20th minute. Junior Dan Abroms (Pomfret School/New Canaan, Conn.) put the Statesmen back in the lead for good two minutes later with a beautiful shot into the right corner from the top of the penalty area.
Sporting a perfect 8-0 record when leading at halftime this season, Hobart played stifling defense in the second stanza, allowing just two Fredonia shots. The Statesmen fired eight shots but were unable to widen their lead, coming away with the one-goal victory.
Fried went the distance for the Statesmen, grabbing three saves, while Fredonia keepers Matt Borchard (Williamsville S./Williamsville, N.Y.) and Adam Flanders (Liverpool/Liverpool, N.Y.) combined for three stops.
Hobart travels to St. Lawrence to play in the UCAA Tournament next weekend. Seeded third, the Statesmen will take on the second seed Hamilton College on Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m. The winner of that game advances to the championship match the following afternoon at 1 p.m.
—HWS SPORTS—