Box Score WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Five unanswered goals in the second half made an already rainy and cold that much more dismal, as the Army Black Knights gave the Hobart lacrosse team a rather rude welcome to the Patriot League by a 10-8 count. Junior midfielder Joe Leska and junior midfielder Jason Ouellet led the Statesmen’s efforts with a pair of goals each.

Army got on the board first, just over four minutes into the game. Ouellet, who was hampered by injuries and limited to just two points in 1999, evened the contest off a feed from senior attackman Kevin DeWall. The teams traded goals once more before the end of the first quarter, with Leska knotting the game at 2-2.

Early in the second quarter Hobart appeared poised to take control of the game, scoring back-to-back goals for a 4-2 lead. Sophomore attackman Scott Harvey got the ball rolling with an unassisted extra-man goal at the 11:45 mark. Sophomore attackman David Spratlen scored with 6:25 remaining in the half, but the Black Knights responded with a pair of quick goals less than two minutes apart to send the teams into the locker room tied at four.

Army notched the first tally of the second half, but senior midfielder Spencer Niebuhr tied the game for the fourth time with 11:03 left to play in the quarter.

The Black Knights scored the last three goals of the third frame and the first two of the fourth to build a 10-5 lead. Leska started the Statesmen’s ill-fated comeback at the 12:23 mark. Senior attackman Jared Bebee scored Hobart’s second unassisted extra-man goal of the afternoon to extend his personal scoring streak to 28 consecutive games and shrink Army’s lead to 10-7. Ouellet scored the final goal of the afternoon with just 36 ticks left in the game.

Senior James Murtha got the start in goal for Hobart, making 13 saves.

--HWS SPORTS--