May 5, 2002

The Hobart College lacrosse team will face the Duke University Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament. The Statesmen are making their 24th appearance in the NCAA postseason, and their third in the Division I field (1998, 2000).

"We're looking forward to representing the Patriot League well against a very good Duke team," Hobart first-year Head Coach Matt Kerwick said.

The teams, who also met in the first round in 2000, will square off at the University of Delaware's Delaware Stadium on May 12, as the second game of the South Doubleheader. Faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m., or 45 minutes after the completion of the Georgetown-Manhattan game, which is scheduled to begin at noon.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and children. Tickets are available via TicketMaster (302-984-2000) at the Bob Carpenter Center Box Office, and at the Stadium on the day of the game. Ticket booths will open at 10 a.m., with the stadium gates opening 30 minutes later. There will also be a $5 charge for parking.

Hobart earned a spot in this year's tournament field via the Patriot League's automatic qualifier. The Statesmen (6-7, 5-1 in PL) finished in a three-way tie for the League title with Army (8-6, 5-1) and Bucknell (6-7, 5-1). The automatic bid was awarded to Hobart based on its Ratings Percentage Index, the final tiebreaker in the Patriot League's four-step procedure.

One of the most storied programs in collegiate lacrosse, Hobart is celebrating its centennial season this year. The Statesmen have won 16 national championships (13 Division III, 2 Division II, USILA) and rank third in all-time wins with an overall record of 673-374-20.

The Hobart attack is led by junior John Bogosian (Kent School/Massena, N.Y.) and first-year Nate Hill (Hamburg/Hamburg, N.Y.). The duo shares the team lead in points (35), while Bogosian leading the team in goals (27) and Hill pacing the team in assists (23).

Junior midfielder Tim Booth (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) has put together one of the most dominant seasons at the faceoff X in recent Hobart history. He's won 134 of the 220 restarts he's taken this season, while collecting a team-high 82 ground balls.

Defensively, junior goalie Mike Borsz (West Genesee/Camillus, N.Y.) has been exceptional, turning away 164 shots for a .577 save percentage and a 10.40 goals against average.

The Statesmen and Blue Devils have met eight times, with Duke holding a 5-3 series lead. The Blue Devils won the most recent meeting in the first round of the 2000 tournament on Hobart's Boswell Field by a score of 13-1. The Statesmen last topped Duke in 1994, the team's last at the Division III level, by a score of 17-15.