The Hobart lacrosse team will open its 122nd season at home against No. 20 Colgate on Sunday, Feb. 11. The opening faceoff is scheduled for noon.
Head Coach Greg Raymond begins his 11th season at the helm focused on holding the Statesmen to a higher standard with a renewed attention to detail than the team showed in a 5-8 campaign last year. Hobart was beset by nagging injuries and suffered a pair of one-goal losses on the road in their first season in the Atlantic 10. He expects his year's squad to play at a more physical, faster, and more intense clip.
Here's a look at the top returner, breakout player and rookie to watch at each position:
ATTACK
Hobart will return its top-five point producers and nine of the 11 players that hit double digits in points. The offense should continue to excite fans as it has over the past four seasons under Moses Family Associate Head Coach Stephen Brundage. In 40 games as the offensive coordinator, the Statesmen are averaging more than 14 goals per game.
Anthony Dattellas '24
- Top returning goal scorer & point producer
- Five games with 4+ points in 2023
- Scored a career-high 7 goals against Canisius
Troy Barthelme '23, MSM'24
- Breakout Player
- 3rd on team in goals & points in 2023
- Always draws attention due to his size (6-7, 240), but also possesses a high lacrosse IQ & great vision
Rookie to Watch: Chris Patterson '27, Bronxville, N.Y.
A triple threat, Patterson has shown the ability to pass, dodge and shoot from distance to break down an offense. An All-American and two-time All-State selection out of Bronxville High School, he's expected to be a key player in Hobart's offensive success this season.
MIDFIELD
The Statesmen will feature depth and experience throughout the midfield,
Chad Bach '24
- Top returner
- Most athletic midfielder, geat speed, tremendous dodger
- Needs to stay healthy
- Exploded for career-high 6 goals vs. Dartmouth
John Jude Considine '25
- Top Returner
- 2023 All-A10 second team
- Consistent production throughout the season
- Season-high 4 goals vs. Richmond
- Hat tricks vs. #3 Cornell & Providence
John Herlihy '23, MSM'24
- Breakout Player
- Slowed by injury last season (9-3-12)
- Looks to return to form that saw him log 29 points in 2022
- Career-high 5 goals vs. Colgate in 2020
Will Delano '25
- Breakout Player
- Led 2023 team with 17 assists
- 4th in A10 in assists/gm
- Second on team with 29 points
- Career-high 5 points vs. Richmond, included 4 assists
Alex Rosa '25
- Breakout Player
- 13th in the nation in extra-man goals
- One of 5 returning Statesmen with 20+ points in 2023
- Career-high 6 points at High Point
Rookie To Watch: Colden Swisher '27, Burnt Hills, N.Y.
An All-American at Burnt-Hills-Ballston Lake High School, Swisher led the Spartans to three Section II Championships. He's a two-handed player with a knack for scoring goals.
FACEOFF
Adam Shea '24, MSM'25
- Top Returner
- 6th in the nation in ground balls per game
- Won a season-high 22 FOs vs. Richmond
- Needs 7 GBs to break Hobart Division I era career record
- Needs 115 FO wins to break that career mark
Seamus Schofield '26
- Breakout Player
- Won 16-of-27 FOs with 6 GBs in debut vs. Canisius
- Change up to Shea, his continued development will earn him more time this season
- Stick skills give Hobart versatility on offense
Rookie To Watch: Mike Valent '27, Henrietta, N.Y.
A four-year varsity letter winner at Rush Henrietta High School, Valent is strong and fast and has proven to be a diligent worker in the weight room and at refining his faceoff skills.
SHORT-STICK D-MIDDIE
Nicky Gullace '24
- Top Returner
- True team player, leader
- High game IQ
- "There's no flash to his game, it's all substance." --Raymond
Braeden Wimer '25
- Breakout Player
- Missed 2022 season due to injury
- Appeared in 8 games in 2023
- Now fully heathy and ready for a bigger role
Julian Race '26
- Breakout Player
- Saw action in seven games as a first-year
- Outstanding competitor
Rookie To Watch: Cade Dino '26
Although not truly a rookie, Dino appeared in just two games last season, but his size, strength and commitment to learning the defense make him a young player to key an eye on this season.
LONG-STICK MIDFIELDER
Raymond picked two players as co-top returner and breakout players. "They've been good. We need them to be great." He also split his choice as Rookie to Watch.
Rookie To Watch I: Tyler Cavo '27, West Hartford, Conn.
Cavo was a talented all-around athlete at Avon Old Farms. In addition to lacrosse, he also competed in soccer and football for the Winged Beavers.
Rookie To Watch II: Nickolas Sotiropoulos '27, Crownsville, Md.
Soitiropoulos played long-stick midfielder and faced off for Severn School and was named first team All-Anne Arundel County.
CLOSE DEFENSE
Hobart's defense, as a whole unit not just the close defensemen, needs to make the biggest improvement from last season. Raymond believes the pieces are in place to make those performance jumps.
Last year was the first with Assistant Coach Chris Fisher leading the defense. New coordinators come with new vocabularies. Now the players have a better understanding of his schemes and he has a better understanding of their capabilities. The last time Hobart went from Year 1 to Year 2 with a new defensive coordinator (2018-2019), the Statesmen made a seven-win improvement.
Rookie To Watch: Brooks Rhine '27
Rhine has earned a spot in the starting lineup with a combination of on-ball tenacity and his instincts and speed off-ball.
GOALIE
Hobart's roster features five talented netminders. Heading into the season opener, two have separated themselves from the pack, the returning starter and a first-year.
Rookie To Watch: Jack Faiola '27, Canandaigua, N.Y.
An All-American at Canandaigua Academy, Faiola is an exceptional ball stopper. He recorded 385 career saves with a .620 save percentage.
SCHEDULE
Raymond has compiled a schedule that will challenge the Statesmen. Eight of Hobart's 13 opponents are ranked or receiving votes in this week's coaches poll. After facing the Raiders on Sunday, the Statesmen will make their first trip to Ann Arbor to face No. 8 Michigan on Feb. 17. Hobart will wrap up the first month of the season at No. 5 Cornell.
While the saying goes, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," that won't be the case for the Statesmen. They will end the month with home games against No. 9 Syracuse (March 23) and UMass (March 30). The Minutemen are receiving votes.
April's slate starts with a trip to No. 17 Richmond (April 6) followed by home games vs. Saint Joseph's (receiving votes) and High Point (receiving votes) April 13 and April 20, respectively.
In addition to Michigan, Hobart will also face Albany (March 9 in the state captial) and Le Moyne (March 16 in Geneva) for the first time.