Hobart Unveils 2017 Schedule

The Hobart Statesmen are the 31st team to release their 2017 lacrosse schedule. The Statesmen went 10-7 last season and went 4-2 in NEC play. They defeated St. Joe’s in the NEC championship game to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004. They lost to Towson in the play-in game, 18-5. It was Hobart’s first 10-win season since joining Division I back in 1995. Let’s dive into their schedule.

HOBART

The Statesmen keep the same opponents they had from last season, and their first eight games in the order they were from 2016. They’ll begin the season with scrimmages against Towson and Bucknell on January 28, followed by one against Hobart February 4. Hobart is “home” for all three games in February, and home is in quotations because “home” is the Pinnacle Athletic Complex in nearby Victor. It’s an indoor facility that hosted last year’s high school game between IMG Academy and Hill Academy. The season opener is against Penn State on February 11, followed by Siena on the 18th, and Cornell on the 25th.

Hobart continues their stretch of New York teams on the road for two games to begin March. They travel to Vestal to take on the Binghamton Bearcats March 4, followed by a trip to Hamilton to take on Colgate March 7. They’re home for another three-game stretch, and by home I mean Boswell Field, as the Statesmen host Georgetown to begin their home slate at “the Boz” March 11. After a midweek game against Canisius on the 14th, NEC play opens up against Wagner on the 18th. The month caps off on the road against Sacred Heart on the 25th.

April opens up at home against longtime rival Syracuse on the 5th. The two teams have alternated between Boswell Field and the Carrier Dome, and played in Geneva last year. Not sure why the game is back in Geneva once again. Anyway, they’ll have to rest up quick and travel to Hawk Hill to take on St. Joe’s April 8. That’s a rematch of last year’s NEC championship game, which was held at Sweeney Field on the campus of St. Joe’s. A week later, the Statesmen host Bryant, followed by Mount St. Mary’s on the 22nd for the home finale. The regular season finale is on the road against Robert Morris on April 29.

Hobart will lose midfielder Cooper Stefaniak, who was also the team’s captain last season, along with starting midfielder Gavin Llewellyn. But returning to Geneva are their three attackmen from last season in seniors Frank Brown and Sean Donnelly, and sophomore Chris Aslanian. Brown and Aslanian led the team in goals and points in 2016. Max Romm, Mark Darden, and Bryan Hancock are also back after contributing at midfielder last season. On defense, last year’s starting three-some in seniors Arik Andreen, Grant Soucy, and junior D. Bennett Moore are back, along with Christopher Willman. Teddy Sisco is a loss for Hobart’s defensive midfielders, but Sean Cunningham returns as a d-middie. J Andrew Spallanzani should take most of the face-offs this year, and there’s also sophomore Matthew Pedicine there as well. In goal, it’ll be senior Jackson Browne, who had a 9.24 goals against average last season in the cage. With very few losses, head coach Greg Raymond’s crew could easily repeat as NEC champions, especially with huge losses from St. Joe’s and Bryant.

To see every team’s schedule and which one’s we’ve highlighted, check our our master schedule list.