GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College lacrosse team earned a 12-11 Northeast Conference victory over Bryant University on Boswell Field at Urick Stadium this afternoon. Junior Eric Holden scored his fourth goal of the game with under three minutes remaining to provide the margin of victory.
 
Holden was one of three Statesmen with four points on the day. Senior Chris Aslanian produced two goals and two assists while sophomore Ryan Archer handed out a game-high four assists. First-year Derrek Madonna recorded his third hat trick in as many games and his fourth in Hobart's past six contests. Senior Matthew Pedicine had another successful day at the faceoff X, winning 14-of-24 with a game-high five ground balls. Junior goalie Sam Lucchesi made seven saves to earn the win.
 
The Statesmen improved to 9-3 overall, the most wins in a regular season in the program's Division I era. Hobart upped its NEC mark to 3-1, to stay just one game back of league leader Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers, who beat Wagner 12-8 this afternoon, will visit Boswell Field next Saturday.
 
Bryant (3-9, 1-4) was led by a trio of three-point performances. First-year Nick Beeson had two goals and an assist while sophomore Marc O'Rourke and junior Trevor Weingarten each had a goal and two assists. Junior Zach Coffey caused a game-high three turnovers and scored a pair of goals. Junior Jack Callahan picked up a team-high four ground balls and added a pair of caused turnovers. Senior goalie Kevin Beimfohr made 15 saves.
 
The Bulldogs built a 3-0 lead, but the Statesmen countered with three goals in the final five and a half minutes of the opening quarter to pull even. Holden started the comeback with an unassisted goal that made him the 14th Division I Statesman to record 100 career points. The tally also extended his team-leading point streak to 16 games. Aslanian buried a feed from Archer to make it 3-2 and first-year Jason Knox stretched his point streak to 12 games with his 27th goal of the year with 11 seconds remaining.
 
Beeson eased the visitors back in front in the opening minute of the second quarter, but Madonna, set up by Aslanian, equalized near the eight-minute mark. It was the 177th career point for Aslanian, moving him past Marc Van Arsdale '85 into sole possession of 13th place on Hobart's all-time list.
 
Bryant rattled off three straight goals in just over two minute's time to carry a 7-4 lead into the final minute of the half. O'Rourke scored the first and assisted on the second before Beeson scored his second to put the Statesmen down three for the second time. Senior Stanny Gilbertson gave Hobart a much needed lift going into the locker room. After a Lucchesi save, Gilbertson got the ball in the defensive zone and cleared it on his own, running right down Broadway and scoring with 1.3 seconds left.
 
While shots were even in the first half, Hobart turned the tide in its favor in the third quarter, outshooting Bryant 18-7. Beimfohr made six saves in the frame to keep the Statesmen from building too much momentum, the home team did enjoy a 3-1 scoring edge to tie the game at eight with 15 minutes to play.
 
Hobart opened the fourth quarter scoring with a SportsCenter top 10 worthy play. Gilbertson cleared the ball across midfield and fired a 15-yard pass to Bryan Hancock who was standing on the edge of the crease with his back to the goal. Without looking, the senior ripped a shot over his shoulder that ricocheted off the left post into the cage, giving the Statesmen their first lead, 9-8.
 
After the Bulldogs tied the game at nine, Madonna scored an extra-man goal off an assist by Aslanian for a 10-9 lead. It was Aslanian's 30 assists of the season, just the second time in Hobart's Division I era that a Statesman has had 30 or more helpers in a campaign. Jamie Kirk '08 set the standard with 38 in 2007.
 
Bryant reclaimed the lead one last time with back-to-back goals by Coffey and sophomore Austin Kent. The lead didn't last a minute as Madonna completed his hat trick off Archer's fourth assist, knotting the game at 11 with just under five minutes to go. Holden fired home the game-winner at the 2:48 mark and the defense made it stand up down the stretch.
 
Lucchesi made his final save on a shot by Kent near the two-minute mark. Hobart was able to clear the ball and ran out the shot clock to wind the game clock under a minute. The Bulldogs managed three shots in the final 15 seconds, but the first two sailed high over the cage and the final one was blocked by a defender as time expired.
 
The prolific Statesmen offense began the day four assists and 18 points away from the program's Division I era season records. Hobart surpassed both marks with nine assists and 21 points, raising its season totals to 113 assists and 286 points. The previous records were 108 assists (set by the 1995 team in 13 games) and 283 points (2017 in 16 games).
 
Next weekend's showdown with the Mountaineers will begin at noon. It will be the opener of a lacrosse doubleheader with nationally-ranked William Smith hosting Rochester in the finale at 3 p.m.