MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa.—The Hobart College lacrosse team won a wild shootout with Robert Morris University 18-17 to clinch the Northeast Conference regular season championship this afternoon. The Statesmen won their fourth straight game to improve to 8-6 overall and finish league play alone in first place at 5-1.
 
Sophomore attackman Chris Aslanian produced a game-high seven points on five goals and two assists. Senior attackman Frank Brown had four goals and two assists and first-year midfielder Eric Holden added a goal and three assists. Sophomore midfielder Matthew Pedicine was 14-of-27 at the faceoff X and junior long-stick midfielder Christopher Willman picked up a career-high eight ground balls.
 
Senior Jackson Brown made 14 saves to move past Peter Zonino '14 into third place on Hobart's Division I career saves list. Brown now has 513 career stops.
 
Sophomore attackman Matt Schmitt and sophomore midfielder Tyson Gibson each logged six-point games for the Colonials (9-6, 4-2). Schmitt had a team-high five goals and an assist while Gibson notched a hat trick and dished out three assists. First-year Trey Arnold was 15-of-30 on faceoffs and grabbed six ground balls. Sophomore goalie Alex Heger made 10 saves.
 
The fireworks in this one began even before the opening whistle as faceoff was delayed about 90 minutes by lightning.
 
Once the game got underway, RMU raced out to a 7-2 lead on Senior Day. Schmidt had the hot hand early, scoring four goals before the game was 11 minutes old. Aslanian scored both Hobart goals.
 
In the second quarter, the Statesmen turned the tables on the Colonials. Robert Morris took its biggest lead of the game, 8-2, with the first goal of the frame, but Hobart came roaring back with five straight goals.
 
Senior midfielder Mark Darden started the run, assisted by senior midfielder Sean Donnelly. About two minutes later, sophomore midfielder Bryan Hancock set up Frank Brown's first goal of the day. Holden earned his first assist on senior midfielder Tanner John's goal at 6:13. Frank Brown then fired home back-to-back goals 40 seconds apart to cut RMU's lead to 8-7.
 
Robert Morris slowed Hobart's rally with a goal at the 3:19 mark, but Aslanian and Holden scored about a minute apart to send the teams into halftime tied at 9.
 
The Colonials retook the lead with the first two goals of the second half, but two goals in under a minute by Frank Brown and junior midfielder Mason Burr tied the game at 11. RMU took its final lead of the day on Gibson's goal with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Burr tied the game with under 90 seconds left and Aslanian staked Hobart to a 13-12 lead just before the end of the quarter.
 
The Statesmen kept the momentum by scoring the first three goals of the fourth quarter. First-year Justin Scott sandwiched goals around an extra-man goal by John to give the visitors a 16-12 lead with about 10 minutes to go.
 
After the teams traded goals to make it a 17-13 Hobart lead with about four minutes to go, the Colonials netted back-to-back goals, 27 seconds apart to close the gap to 17-15 with 2:18 remaining. Sophomore defensive midfielder Stanny Gilbertson scored what proved to be the game winner at the 1:48 mark.
 
RMU scored with 23 seconds and six seconds remaining to make it a one-goal game, but Pedicine won the day's final faceoff to seal the victory and Hobart's first conference regular season title since the Statesmen won the Patriot League in 2002.
 
Jackson Brown made five saves in the final 15 minutes to help preserve the lead.
 
Hobart will host the NEC Tournament on May 4 and May 6. The Statesmen will play fourth-seeded Sacred Heart (9-5, 4-2) in one semifinal while second-seeded Bryant (8-7, 4-2) will take on third-seeded Robert Morris in the other semifinal. Game times will be announced on Monday.