On April 16, 2011, the Statesmen Athletic Association will honor the 1981 Hobart lacrosse team by naming it a Team of Distinction. The team will be recognized at halftime of the Hobart-Bellarmine lacrosse game at 7 p.m. on Boswell Field at the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation.
The 1981 team opened its defense of the Division III National Championship the same way it had claimed the inaugural title, with explosive offense, defeating Brown 20-13 in the first ever lacrosse game in Syracuse's Carrier Dome. After the win over the Bears, the Statesmen rattled off two more wins, 18-8 over Middlebury and an 8-6 defeat of Cornell, before falling to UMass in overtime, 10-9. Hobart won its next two games by a combined 23 goals before falling to Syracuse, again in overtime, 12-11. The Statesmen responded with victories over St. Lawrence, UMBC, and Cortland before suffering their only regulation loss of the season, an 8-5 setback against eventual Division II champion, Adelphi. Hobart bounced back by winning its regular season finale in dominant fashion, posting a 17-5 decision over Union.
The Statesmen cruised to the NCAA title game. They overwhelmed Fairleigh Dickinson in the quarterfinal round, 27-4, and were just as impressive in their 23-6 semifinal win over Washington (Md.).
In a rematch of the 1980 championship game, Hobart squared off with Cortland. The Statesmen and Red Dragons were locked in a toe-to-toe battle entering the fourth quarter tied 7-all. Early in the final frame, Larry Grimaldi '82, off an assist from Jeff Knaus '81, put Hobart in front for good. Five minutes later, Knaus made it a two-goal lead. Cortland got that goal back, but Bob Sipperly '82 netted an insurance goal to secure a 10-8 victory and a second straight national championship.
Predictably, Hobart reaped the lion's share of the postseason awards. The Statesmen boasted the National Coach of the Year, Dave Urick; the Midfielder and Player of the Year, Bill Sipperly '81; Defenseman of the Year, Kevin Martin '82; and Goalie of the Year, Guy Van Arsdale '83. Six players earned All-America honors, Mark Darcanglo, Grimaldi, Knaus, Martin, Bill Sipperly, and Van Arsdale.
The 1981 lacrosse team has six representatives in the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame,
Darcangelo (Class of 2003),
Scott Geise '83 (2002),
Van Arsdale (2001),
Urick (1990), and assistant coaches
Terry Corcoran '78 (1992) and
Hank Janczyk '76 (2010).
The Team of Distinction award was created in 2006 by the SAA Board of Directors to honor selected teams for their outstanding athletic achievements and for their contributions to the tradition of Hobart Athletics. The first Statesmen teams to receive this honor were the undefeated lacrosse teams of 1938 and 1940, and the undefeated football teams of 1954 and 1957.
Teams are eligible for the Team of Distinction award 10 years after the completion of their season. Recognized teams usually have won a conference, regional, or national championship, have recorded an undefeated season, have overcome exceptional challenges during their season, or were considered to be one of the “very best Hobart teams ever” in their respective sport.
