Kirk, O'Brien to lead Statesmen against 2011 slate

Courtesy Hobart Sports Information

Hobart Lacrosse Head Coach T.W. Johnson recently announced the team captains for the 2011 season, his third at the helm for the Statesmen. Seniors Evan Kirk and Mike O’Brien will lead Hobart during its 109th varsity season.

As a backup to All-ECAC goalie Max Silberlicht '10, Kirk saw action in six games for the Statesmen last season. He made seven saves in nearly 30 minutes of work at Fairfield, posting a .538 save percentage for the game. Kirk won a silver medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England.

O’Brien has been a major cog in the Hobart defense during his first three years on campus. He has played in 38 games during his career, starting every game over the past two seasons. In 2010, O’Brien collected 23 ground balls, including a career-high five in the win over Binghamton.

Hobart's 2011 schedule begins on Feb. 19 at Robert Morris. Following a stop in Ithaca to face Cornell a week later, the Statesmen will make their Boswell Field debut at the all new Caird Center for Sports and Recreation, hosting Colgate on March 5.

Hobart will travel to play Binghamton three days later before returning to Geneva for a five-game home stand. The Statesmen will welcome the Bucknell Bison on March 12, followed by the Bryant Bulldogs a week later.

The Canisius Golden Griffins will make the trek down the Thruway on March 22 for the first of three night games on the slate. The game will also be the first of four televised contests featuring the Statesmen. Time Warner Sports will carry the game across New York State.

ECAC Lacrosse League play will begin on March 26 when the Fairfield Stags come to town with the Denver Pioneers traversing the country on April 2.

After a trip to Ohio State on April 9, Hobart will close out its home schedule at 7 p.m. on April 16 against Bellarmine on Time Warner Sports. The Statesmen will be on Time Warner Sports just three days later when they visit the Carrier Dome for a showdown with Syracuse.

Hobart's fourth TV appearance (on WMAR-TV) will be in Baltimore on April 23 against Loyola. The Statesmen will wrap up the slate on April 30 in Colorado Springs, Colo., against Air Force.

Several game times and game dates have been changed recently so fans are reminded to check HWSAthletics.com to find the latest and most accurate schedule for Hobart lacrosse and all of the Colleges' intercollegiate teams.