Statesmen debut at #13/14; Silberlicht honored again

Courtesy of Hobart Sports Information

Geneva, NY - Hobart entered Saturday's game against No. 11 Georgetown as one of only five undefeated teams in the nation and the only one unranked. The Statesmen grabbed the attention of voters with a 15-8 victory over the Hoyas, debuting at No. 13 in the USILA Coaches' Poll and tied for No. 14 with Loyola in the Inside Lacrosse/Nike Media Poll.

Hobart (5-0, 1-0 ECAC) topped Georgetown for the first time since 1995, halting a 13-game losing streak, on the foundation of strong team defense. Junior goalie Max Silberlicht is a key component of the team's stifling D and was named the ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week.

Silberlicht produced a season-high 16 saves against Georgetown. He was at the top of his game in the first half, stopping all 10 shots he faced. It's the first time since 1996 that the Hoyas have been shutout in a half. Silberlicht has played all 300 minutes for the Statesmen this year and leads the nation in goals against average (5.40) and save percentage (.693).

Attackmen junior Kevin Curtin and first-year Chris Pedersen earned a spot on the ECAC honor roll.

Curtin tallied a career-high five points vs. Georgetown. He recorded his fourth career hat trick, including consecutive scores in the first quarter that put the Statesmen in front 4-0. Curtin also set up a pair of goals as the Statesmen improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1998. He is second on the team in goals (9), assists (6), and points (15).

Pedersen scored twice against the Hoyas. He is third on the team with seven goals and fourth in points with nine.

Hobart, which won its ECAC opener for the first time, will continue conference play on March 21, when the Statesmen host Rutgers on McCooey Field. It will be the sixth meeting in a series that began in 1999. Hobart hasn't topped the Scarlet Knights since 2005.