The 115th Hobart College lacrosse season gets underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, when the Statesmen host 15th-ranked Penn State University at Pinnacle Athletic Campus in Victor, N.Y. The defending Northeast Conference Champion, Hobart has been picked to finish second in the NEC's preseason coaches' poll.
 
"Preseason polls don't matter," third-year Head Coach Greg Raymond says. "It's dependent on how this team comes together, what type of camaraderie we can hang onto through the ups and downs, and our leadership. We proved last year that the preseason poll is tested three months later by who has depth, who doesn't have injuries, and who's still playing passionate lacrosse."
 
Last year, the Statesmen produced their first 10-win season since moving to Division I in 1995. The team had the mental toughness and leadership to persevere through adversity. Hobart was on the short end of a 13-5 decision to Saint Joseph's and dropped a 15-2 contest at Bryant. The Statesmen showed their resiliency by knocking off both teams in the NEC Tournament, scoring a 7-6 semifinal win over the Bulldogs and taking down the Hawks 11-7 in the championship.
 
Hobart returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004 and for the 26th time overall. The Statesmen drew 10th-ranked Towson in the first round and the Tigers defended their home field.
 
Statistically, Hobart led the nation in man-down defense (.776) and set a Statesmen Division I season record for clearing percentage (.906). The 2016 team scored 157 goals, the fourth highest total in the program's Division I era, and returns 80 percent of that scoring this season.
 
Hobart had just four seniors on last year's roster, so the team will boast plenty of depth and experience while adding a talented group of first-years to the mix. In fact, this year's squad will feature 13 seniors, including seven starters.
 
Here's a position-by-position look at the Statesmen:
 
ATTACK
 
One of the strengths of this year's team, Hobart's starting attack returns intact in the form of senior Frank Brown, senior Sean Donnelly, and sophomore Chris Aslanian.
 
Brown produced team-highs of 34 goals and 44 points on his way to second team All-NEC honors. Only three Statesmen have scored more goals in a Division I season (Alex Love in '12, '13, Nathan Roost in '97 and Mark Williamson in '04). With similar production this year, he would become the 11th Division I Statesman to produce 100 career points.
 
Donnelly was equal parts quarterback and scoring threat in 2016, handing out a team-high 14 assists to go with 15 goals. He had four points in the NEC Championship game against Saint Joseph's and posted a season-high five points in the win over Siena.
 
Aslanian made a splash in his collegiate debut season, finishing second on the team in both goals (24) and assists (13). He became the first Hobart first-year to score a game-winning goal in overtime and is one of only three Statesmen to score more than one game-winning OT goal. Aslanian beat Canisius with a tally in the second OT and, five days later, handed Wagner a triple OT defeat.
 
Junior Owen Smith, sophomore Gerald Flood and first-years Justin Scott and Eric Holden will provide depth up top. Scott and Holden have impressed the coaching staff with their dodging ability and nose for the goal and may see time in the midfield to get them playing time.
 
MIDFIELD
 
All four seniors on last year's team were midfielders—Cooper Stefaniak, Gavin Llewellyn, Teddy Sisco, and Ryan Cochran—but that doesn't mean there will be a shortage of experience or leadership in the middle. Seniors Mark Darden and Max Romm and sophomore Bryan Hancock all started at times last season, contributing a combined 48 points.
 
Romm had a career-high 16 goals, including the game winner against Binghamton, last year. Darden notched his first collegiate points in the 2016 season opener against Penn State and started the year with a six-game point streak. Hancock earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team after finishing the season on an eight-game point streak.
 
The first line could also include Scott and/or Holden, assuring the second line will have veteran leadership.
 
The second and third lines will be filled out by senior Tanner John, juniors Mason Burr and Riley McTague, and sophomores Kyle Grimaldi and Koko Avedisian. Juniors Jonathan Spaan and Spencer Passmore and first-year Jimmy Lampert could also earn playing time in the midfield.
 
Hobart has a solid group of defensive midfielders that give the Statesmen a strong transition from defense to offense. Seniors Sean Cunningham and Kevin Murphy, junior Henry Mann, and sophomore Stanny Gilbertson are hard-nosed defenders that keyed Hobart's clearing success last season (7th in the nation). Gilbertson has been particularly impressive at evading the ride, finding another gear that leaves opponents in the dust. All four players proved they can trigger the offense as well, combining for 13 points in 2016.
 
Senior Noel McGuinness, who has been plagued by injuries, will also contribute at d-middie when he's healthy.
 
At the faceoff X, junior J Andrew Spallanzani completed an impressive turnaround last year. After winning 39 percent of his restarts as a first-year, he improved dramatically to win 58 percent as a sophomore while finishing second on the team with 46 ground balls, garnering second team All-NEC honors for his efforts. After taking nearly 70 percent of Hobart's faceoffs over the past two seasons, he may take fewer draws this year to keep him fresh and take advantage of his skill as a defensive midfielder and a man-down defender.
 
Sophomore Matthew Pedicine was a solid backup to Spallanzani last year, winning just over 50 percent of his faceoffs. With his continued improvement, Hobart has a potent one-two punch at the X. On any given day, who's No. 1 may change based on the day's match up and who has the hot hand.
 
Junior Christopher Willman returns as the top long-stick midfielder. A staple on defense for the Statesmen, he was second on the team with 14 caused turnovers and third with 39 ground balls last season. First-year Sam Mueller has played well in the preseason and is in the mix to be the top backup. Senior Shane Hurley, junior Will Locke, and first-year Eoin Hurley will also be in the mix for playing time. Shane Hurley has battled injury, but has played well when healthy. Locke is a strong contributor on the faceoff wing, finishing fifth on the team with 27 ground balls last year. Eoin Hurley may also see time on the faceoff wing.
 
CLOSE DEFENSE
 
The trio of seniors Grant Soucy and Arik Andreen and junior D. Bennett Moore have started a combined 92 games for the Statesmen. They're a tenacious bunch that work well together and give Hobart's goalie the best chance to make the stop.
 
Soucy is the most veteran of the three with 44 career starts under his belt. He's sixth on the school's career caused turnover list with 33. Andreen was a first time starter last year, leading the team and finishing fourth in the NEC with 23 caused turnovers, two shy of the Hobart season record. The first team All-NEC pick is just ahead of Soucy on the career caused turnovers list with 37. Moore has started all 31 games in his Hobart career.
 
Junior Connor Flood and sophomore Parke Schweiter will be the first defensemen off the bench. Flood in particular has made tremendous strides during the offseason.
 
GOALIE
 
A two-year starter and a two-time All-NEC second team selection, Jackson Brown is a sensational backstop, who's grown to be a vocal leader. Among Hobart's Division I goalies, he enters his senior year sixth in career saves (362) with the fourth lowest goals against average (9.67) and fifth highest save percentage (.538). The faith his teammates have in him allows everyone to play with more confidence.
 
Junior Cole Bardawill, sophomore Tristan Dougherty, and first-year Sam Luccesi have all played well in the preseason. Dougherty has been the most consistent and is likely the top backup, if Brown ever comes off the field.
 
SCHEDULE
 
Hobart's 14-game schedule includes seven on venerable Boswell Field and two more "home" games at Pinnacle Athletic Complex in nearby Victor, N.Y. The season kicks off with three straight home games against Penn State, Siena (Feb. 18), and the 136th meeting with Cornell (Feb. 25). After short road trips to Binghamton (March 4) and Colgate (March 7), the Statesmen will have another three-game homestand, taking on Georgetown (March 11), Canisius (March 14), and the NEC opener against Wagner (March 18). Hobart will close out March with a trip to Connecticut to take on Sacred Heart on the 25th.
 
April starts with the 103rd Hobart-Syracuse game on the fifth. On the Boz for the second year in a row, the contest will be televised by Time Warner/Spectrum Sports Channel. For the fourth straight year (regular or postseason), the Statesmen will play at Saint Joseph's on April 8.
 
It's back to Geneva for games against Bryant (April 15) and Mount St. Mary's (April 22). Hobart will honor its senior class prior to the game against the Mount and then at halftime, recognize four Teams of Distinction, the 1986-89 National Championship winning Hobart lacrosse teams. The regular season will conclude with a road trip to Pittsburgh to take on Robert Morris on April 29.