Box Score HAVERFORD, Pa.—The Hobart lacrosse team kicked off its 104th season with a 10-8 win over Bucknell at the Haverford School this afternoon. The Statesmen improve to 60-40-4 on opening day.
Hobart sophomore attackman Daryl Veltman led the charge with four points (2-2), while sophomore midfielder Sean Murphy scored a game-high three goals. John Togneri led the Bison with two goals and an assist.
Togneri got Bucknell (0-1) on the board first, netting a goal less than two minutes into the contest. Veltman evened the game four minutes later off an assist from first-year attackman Jeff Ryan. Sophomore midfielder Nick Currie recorded an unassisted tally just before the end of the first quarter to give the Statesmen (1-0) the lead.
In the second quarter, Hobart sandwiched goals by Murphy and senior attackman Mike Conklin around a Bucknell goal to take a 4-2 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Bison trade goals with junior midfielder Christopher David. The Silver Springs, Md. native scored twice in the frame as the Statesmen took a 6-4 lead into the fourth quarter.
Murphy gave Hobart a three-goal lead with 14:03 remaining, but Bucknell responded with three goals in less than 50 seconds to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:17 remaining.
Seemingly unfazed by the charging herd, the Statesmen answered with quick scores of their own. Red-shirt first-year David O’Quinn scored his first collegiate goal at the 8:45 mark, and 42 seconds later, Veltman struck again to make it a 10-8 game.
Bucknell trimmed its deficit to one with just over five minutes remaining, but Murphy completed his hat trick a minute later to quell the threat.
Senior goalie Mike DeSantis picked up the win with 12 saves, while Matt Baran stopped nine for the Bison.
Hobart outshot Bucknell 31-27 and controlled the play at the faceoff X as junior John Soden and sophomore Dan Spinella combined for 13 wins on 22 restarts. Ground balls were even (36-36), but Statesmen senior long-stick midfielder Andrew Narog collected a game-high eight.
Hobart is back in action on March 4, when the Statesmen take on Ohio State at HERSHEYPARK Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
