Smalley breaks career mark as Statesmen stop Red Storm, 10-9

Hobart Sports Information

Senior Matt Smalley scored twice and broke Hobart's Division I record for career ground balls in the lacrosse team's 10-9 ECAC win at St. John's this afternoon. He picked up a team-high eight ground balls to raise his career total to 256, one more than former record-holder Tim Booth '03.

Senior Jeff Colburn led the Statesmen (6-5, 2-4) offense with a goal and two assists, while Smalley was one of four Statesmen to record two points on the day, along with junior Kevin Curtin (2-0), sophomore Tim Bigelow (1-1), and first-year Chris Pedersen (1-1).

Drew Schanen paced the Red Storm (5-6, 1-5) with two goals and an assist, while Trevor Michaelsen (2-0), Matt Hurst (1-1) and Harry Kutner (1-1) added two points apiece.

The teams played an even opening quarter, heading to the second knotted at 3-all. Hobart got its goals from Bigelow, Curtin, and Suits.

Schanen gave SJU the lead early in the second quarter, but the Statesmen countered with three straight goals to build a 6-4 lead. Cassell started the run with his team-leading 18th goal of the season at the 10:32 mark. Colburn put Hobart in front with his 14th at 6:43 and the Statesmen took a two-goal lead thanks to Smalley's first at 2:11.

Michaelsen trimmed the deficit to one 32 seconds before halftime and Schanen evened the contest 5:32 into the second half. SJU won the ensuing faceoff and took a quick shot that was blocked. Junior goalie Max Silberlicht collected the ground ball, fed first-year Bobby Dattilo, who set up Pedersen's goal that gave Hobart the lead for good.

Just over three minutes later, the Statesmen again took a two-goal lead when junior Mike Lazore scored at the 5:54 mark. Colburn assisted on the play, raising his career total to 47 and moving past Jamie Breslin '01 and John Bogosian '03 into fifth place on Hobart's Division list.

St. John's closed out the quarter's scoring on a goal by Malcolm Miles to head into the final frame down 8-7.

Smalley tied Booth with a ground ball pickup on the fourth quarter's opening faceoff. He broke the record less than three minutes later and made the GB even more memorable by scoring off a Pedersen assist 18 seconds later for a 9-7 Hobart lead. Pedersen was also on the receiving end of two slashing penalties prior to the goal, giving the Statesmen a man-advantage in addition to a two-goal cushion.

At the 12:01 mark, Curtin scored Hobart's third man-up goal of the day for a 10-7 edge. The Statesmen finished the contest 3-of-7 on man-up tries without taking a penalty themselves. It's the first time Hobart hasn't been flagged at least once since April 15, 2000 (vs. Georgetown).

Midway through the quarter, Kutner scored to make it a two-goal game followed by Carl Iacona's man-down goal at the 5:34 mark that pulled the Red Storm within one.

Silberlicht made two of his 12 stops on the day in the final five minutes to preserve the victory, snapping the Statesmen's five-game slide and sending St. John's to its fifth straight loss, including three one-goal defeats.

Hobart will play its final home game of the season on April 21, when the Statesmen host Canisius on McCooey Field. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.