Hobart

SALISBURY -- The Hobart Statesmen fooled a lot of people, but never themselves.Despite their worst record in more than a decade, the Statesmen remained the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III lacrosse, winning their 12th consecutive title yesterday with a 12-11 win over Salisbury State before 3,417 at Sea Gulls Stadium.Hobart (8-6) scored four unanswered goals in the first nin minutes of the third period to take a four-goal lead and hold off a late Salisbury rally in the final period.

Fred Pawlikowski swept away Michael Voris' shot with two seconds remaining as No. 9 Hobart held off Cornell, 13-12, last night before 902 in Ithaca, N.Y.The Statesmen (8-0) took their biggest lead of the game at 12-6 five minutes into the third quarter on Eric Petranchuk's unassisted goal.But the Big Red (4-6) finished the game on a 7-1 run, including scoring the final four goals. Cornell closed to 13-12 when Josh Morgan scored with 34 seconds left.Pawlikowski, who finished with 24 saves, then helped Hobart avoid overtime by making his 15th second-half stop.

Sarah Hobart never quite grabbed a championship ring during her four-year career as a soccer goalkeeper at Davidson College. Maybe she was just a little bit short at 5 feet 6. "Most college goalkeepers are 5-8, even 5-10," said the former Wilde Lake standout who nearly earned the ring in her final chance in the Southern Conference tournament this season. Hobart set the stage with a spectacular save in a 3-2 semifinal upset victory over top-seeded UNC-Greensboro. With the score tied at 2-2 and 13 minutes left, Hobart made the crucial stop when she was challenged at point-blank range by UNC-Greensboro's Cara Hammond.

Casey Powell scored 1: 06 into overtime as No. 3 Syracuse edged Hobart, 16-15, in a men's lacrosse game last night before 3,447 at the Carrier Dome.Powell had four goals and two assists for the Orangemen (10-2), who trailed by as much as 6-1 in the first quarter.Hobart (5-6) didn't trail until Paul Carcaterra (five goals) put Syracuse ahead 11-10 on an extra-man goal with 17 seconds left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter featured three ties and two lead changes.Down 15-13 with 6: 45 remaining, the Statesmen scored back-to-back goals in a 41-second span to force overtime.

COLLEGE PARK - Danny McCormick was on campus for about one day in September 1998 when a Maryland lacrosse teammate heard his first name, saw the map of Ireland on his face and tagged him with the nickname "Noonan." Yes, he bears a likeness to the actor who played the young hero in "Caddyshack," that classic bit of sports cinema that skewered golf. Danny Noonan made the big putt, but how McCormick stacks up under pressure in the Terps' goal remains unknown because the Dave Cottle era at Maryland opened yesterday with a 13-6 romp over Hobart at the Artificial Turf Field.

Chris Summers took a pass from Gunnar Goettelmann and beat Hobart goalie Mike Borsz with 14.4 seconds left yesterday, giving No. 19 Loyola a 13-12 win over the host Statesmen. Hobart (5-7) led early on a Mark Williamson goal but trailed 11-7 in the fourth quarter before rallying to tie the game at 12 with 2:28 to play. Summers finished with four goals for Loyola (7-5), the most by a Greyhounds player this year, and Goettelmann had three goals and three assists. Mount St. Mary's 17, Virginia Military Institute 12: The Mountaineers (8-7, 7-1)

Wilde Lake senior goalkeeper Sarah Hobart has watched a number of county soccer games. Today, after two years of waiting, she'll finally play in one. "It's been so long. I'm excited," said Hobart, a highly competitive and spirited athlete who has battle injuries the past two seasons. "I had such high expectations for myself, and now I finally get to show what I can do. Hopefully, Wilde Lake will be a force to be reckoned with this season." Hobart tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee playing summer basketball and missed her sophomore season.

Despite not scoring for the final 27 minutes of the game, Navy hung on for a 9-8 win over Hobart in the championship game of the Patriot League Tournament Sunday in Annapolis. The Mids (12-2) advance to their first NCAA Tournament in five years. Hobart dropped to 8-6 with the loss. Navy went on to score six of the next seven goals from the 5:16 mark in the second quarter until the 11:51 mark in the third quarter and own a 9-4 lead. Those scoring goals in that run included a pair by Graham Gill, two by junior attack Ben Horn and one each by Steve and Billy Looney.

GENEVA, N.Y. - It's all about the finishing. Duke did, Hobart didn't. That sums up the Blue Devils' 13-1 North Division NCAA tournament first-round victory yesterday before a disappointed home crowd of 3,246 at muddy Boswell Field. Greg Patchak (Timonium, Boys' Latin) led the way with three goals and three assists. T.J. Durnan also had three goals. The Blue Devils (10-4) will face Virginia in the division semifinal May 22 at Johns Hopkins. While the score was lopsided, the scoring opportunities were not. The Statesmen (7-7)

AMHERST, Mass. -- A hot goalie had Dom Starsia reconsidering his position on the bye business.Virginia had earned a pass directly into the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament the past three years. The Cavaliers had dealt with injuries and inactivity recently, so coach Starsia said he was delighted to play a first-round game this time, but that wasn't his sentiment midway through the third quarter against Hobart yesterday."The players said they weren't worried, but I was," Starsia said. "I was wishing we had a first-round bye. We were close to being discouraged."