2nd half run carries Statesmen past the Mount

Photo is courtesy of Hobart College

EMITTSBURG, Md. — The Hobart College lacrosse team scored six consecutive goals in the second half on its way to a 12-6 Northeast Conference win at Mount St. Mary's University this afternoon. First-year Bryan Hancock and junior Frank Brown led the Statesmen with three goals apiece.

Brown had a game-high four points on three goals and an assist. Hancock produced his first career multi-goal game. Junior Sean Donnelly chipped in a goal and two assists. Senior Chris Aslanian, sophomore Mason Burr, and first-year Chris Aslanian all recorded a goal and an assist. For the second game in a row, 11 Statesmen logged at least one point, including senior Ryan Cochran who notched his first career goal.

Defensively, junior Jackson Brown made a season-high 13 saves, including nine in the first half.
Senior Teddy Sisco had two caused turnovers. Junior defenseman Arik Andreen was credited with one caused turnover, raising his season total to 20, which is tied for third on Hobart's single season list. The Statesmen (7-5, 3-1) killed off all four of the Mount's extra-man opportunities, improving their season penalty kill percentage to .788.

Hobart never trailed in the contest jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Frank Brown and Llewellyn in the first five minutes. Mount St. Mary's got on the board late in the opening quarter, but Frank Brown and Burr scored in the first five minutes of the second quarter to make it a 4-1 game. The Mount closed to within one with back-to-back goals before the half.

The Mount's Evan Gormley scored the second of his two goals on the day to start the second half scoring and forge the only tie of the game. The Statesmen responded with six straight goals to take control of the contest. Junior Max Romm and Hancock scored about a minute apart to make it 6-4 at the 10:25 mark of the third. The Statesmen killed off a 6-on-4 situation midway through the frame and then pumped in two more goals, by Hancock and Aslanian, to carry an 8-4 lead into the final 15 minutes.

Like each of the first three quarters, Hobart scored twice in the first five minutes of the fourth, cementing its control of the contest. This time Donnelly and Hancock hit the back of the net for a 10-4 advantage with 11:29 remaining.

The Mountaineers (5-6, 1-2) broke up the run with about six and a half minutes to go, but Frank Brown and Cochran scored, the latter man-up, to put the game out of reach. Hobart was 2-for-6 on the day with the extra-man.

Mount St. Mary's outshot Hobart 40-31, but the Statesmen scored on 12 of their 17 shots on goal. The home team also had the edge in faceoffs (13-9) and ground balls (29-20). Hobart committed just eight turnovers in the game, the fewest by the Statesmen since committing eight in the 2014 NEC Championship game.

Hobart will play its final road game of the regular season on Saturday, April 23, when the Statesmen visit Bryant (7-4, 2-1). The opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. The Bulldogs lost at Saint Joseph's in overtime this afternoon and host Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday.