Hobart 2025

[oldbartman]

Rhine to Richmond

That is a big F... Y.. to Bart/Raymond.... imho.....

[oldbartman]

Incoming Hobart recruit Cole DiPietro scores the game winning goal in OT for South Side against Victor in the NY State class B championship. Great way to end your hs career!

[Farfromgeneva]

Rhine to Richmond

That is a big F... Y.. to Bart/Raymond.... imho.....

I can’t make my feeling any clearer. And the more I hear about the culture under Bates/Raymond it crystallizes more.

I have a ton of issues with laser/skaneateles/FMU and think he was more interested in protecting his buddy and hated the accident that resulted in loss of life post so very much. But he clearly wast wrong about Raymond being the wrong pick and just another dump Hanna took on the program on his way out after 08 and taking the camp economics starving the program for so long. Hanna’s son having Raymond in his wedding party and all. Almost like “don’t worry buyer, I gots mine and left it in shambles but I’ll set you up Andy I can to milk this college like so many others have and continue to for lifetime security and employment”

[Farfromgeneva]

It's still relatively early in the transfer portal opening, just wondering about the Hobart guys and whether they're getting any interest(from D1 schools)?

Rumor of an Ivy for Patterson but source is not close so won’t say which one.

[brodad]

It's still relatively early in the transfer portal opening, just wondering about the Hobart guys and whether they're getting any interest(from D1 schools)?

Rumor of an Ivy for Patterson but source is not close so won’t say which one.

Heard that as well.

[Farfromgeneva]

Think the point is min two rising soph starters and one quasi starter in Greene as well. Who knows who else. Any other D1 program have two FR starters and an importat PT starter and rising Sr running for the hills? Kids who are going to top 20 programs too. And will play despite what one johny come lately d**k wrote on the transfer page about Rhine. What a joke that comment was. then he's sweating Judd Lattimore, whos brother I was chatting with in the last few days. (Bart alum some of you may know, Tim)

[stupefied]

With all due respect FFG, promoted Hobart to two locals who attended and left for similar programs lax wise. They really liked Raymond but quite frankly disliked Hobart. Liberal campus, limited academic offerings and RU, small school size and crappy weather not to their liking . Both are much happier at their institutions and it has nothing to do with Raymond

[Farfromgeneva]

With all due respect FFG, promoted Hobart to two locals who attended and left for similar programs lax wise. They really liked Raymond but quite frankly disliked Hobart. Liberal campus, limited academic offerings and RU, small school size and crappy weather not to their liking . Both are much happier at their institutions and it has nothing to do with Raymond

Well if one is going to UPenn I think the liberal campus comment may be off base. And weather isn’t much of an upgrade in east philly. Richmond is fine, better but having lived in dc for a stretch you can still get plenty of snow and cold. Just deeper/better fall/spring seasons. Both are upgrades but there’s a major cost of transferring, I applied and certainly considered Wesleyan (the other was a Ma based NESCAC in Ma not named Williams or Amherst). Both would’ve been significant upgrades but my reasoning for the move was determined to be outweighed the cost of starting over socially. Im all for kids upgrading but I think the job is to do everything to make sure once a kid hits campus they are happy and successful there. Good thing we are going to crush enrollment and endowment numbers this year because a 4-9 teams is losing at least 2-3 starters “inorganically”.

Also what are you responding to specifically bc my last two posts haven’t said that at all. I’ve generally been focused on something is a problem and the philosophy is to turn the back on them at choosing the portal option. And wrt to prior history to Geneva I know enough to be comfortable with my position .

[Ketch]

With all due respect FFG, promoted Hobart to two locals who attended and left for similar programs lax wise. They really liked Raymond but quite frankly disliked Hobart. Liberal campus, limited academic offerings and RU, small school size and crappy weather not to their liking . Both are much happier at their institutions and it has nothing to do with Raymond

Well if one is going to UPenn I think the liberal campus comment may be off base. And weather isn’t much of an upgrade in east philly. Richmond is fine, better but having lived in dc for a stretch you can still get plenty of snow and cold. Just deeper/better fall/spring seasons. Both are upgrades but there’s a major cost of transferring, I applied and certainly considered Wesleyan (the other was a Ma based NESCAC in Ma not named Williams or Amherst). Both would’ve been significant upgrades but my reasoning for the move was determined to be outweighed the cost of starting over socially. Im all for kids upgrading but I think the job is to do everything to make sure once a kid hits campus they are happy and successful there. Good thing we are going to crush enrollment and endowment numbers this year because a 4-9 teams is losing at least 2-3 starters “inorganically”.

Also what are you responding to specifically bc my last two posts haven’t said that at all. I’ve generally been focused on something is a problem and the philosophy is to turn the back on them at choosing the portal option. And wrt to prior history to Geneva I know enough to be comfortable with my position .

We’ve got a dumpster fire going on for sure and Rhine and Patterson leaving are a symptom of that fire. I’m not sure that things would be any better had they decided to stay. They really must not have liked the place- and playing for Raymond. I’m curious what their pt situation is going to be where they are headed, specifically for Patterson. Exactly where in the Ivy League is he going to be a starter? To my knowledge most Ivys are stacked at all positions. Reminds me of Bryant’s Ben Obladian, who was quite a good player, heading for Cornell and winding up deep on the bench, never to be heard of again. But at least he’ll have his Ivy diploma…

[Bartman]

The Portal is the Wild West in all sports these days. Crazier in D1 Football and basketball because of the $$$, but Lacrosse has been impacted as well. Transfer and immediately play is a great free market advantage for the athletes, and both a nightmare and opportunity for coaches. I think for Hobart lacrosse it falls more in the nightmare category, unless we have an innovative coaching staff that can overcome our challenges. If Hobart could look backwards to the decision to go D1 with the knowledge that a portal system would be in place , we might never have moved up to D1. Now that we are in D1, what is in the best interest of our future student athletes? I don't have a good answer because even if we "moved down" to D3 our better athletes would still be offered the opportunity to move up to D1 competition(See SLU, RIT and RPI). I think we are in a tough spot. In the old days one of the measures of success was beating Syracuse (fairly regularly) and being more than competitive with Cornell, while these days it seems beating these "historical rivals" more than 10% of the time will be a challenge.The frustration of our current reality will only make the exchanges on this board even more heated as passionate supporters express themselves. I think we really need to reassess our place in the world of college lacrosse, because the glory days of the incredible National Championship streak is now becoming a very distant memory held by old men like me( I never played but just being at Hobart meant lax got in your blood). Right now, the D3 Hobart Hockey team has the spirit of those old lax teams , and it is awesome to watch them play...winning does that.

[oldbartman]

Bartman , take your D 3 chatter and .... I truly doubt any of us expect to return to the "glory days". The NCAA made sure we couldn't. All most of us want is for the team to be competitive. The past 2 seasons we weren't. Changes need to be made, But moving back to D 3 would be an even worse move. So please stop.

[Farfromgeneva]

The Portal is the Wild West in all sports these days. Crazier in D1 Football and basketball because of the $$$, but Lacrosse has been impacted as well. Transfer and immediately play is a great free market advantage for the athletes, and both a nightmare and opportunity for coaches. I think for Hobart lacrosse it falls more in the nightmare category, unless we have an innovative coaching staff that can overcome our challenges. If Hobart could look backwards to the decision to go D1 with the knowledge that a portal system would be in place , we might never have moved up to D1. Now that we are in D1, what is in the best interest of our future student athletes? I don't have a good answer because even if we "moved down" to D3 our better athletes would still be offered the opportunity to move up to D1 competition(See SLU, RIT and RPI). I think we are in a tough spot. In the old days one of the measures of success was beating Syracuse (fairly regularly) and being more than competitive with Cornell, while these days it seems beating these "historical rivals" more than 10% of the time will be a challenge.The frustration of our current reality will only make the exchanges on this board even more heated as passionate supporters express themselves. I think we really need to reassess our place in the world of college lacrosse, because the glory days of the incredible National Championship streak is now becoming a very distant memory held by old men like me( I never played but just being at Hobart meant lax got in your blood). Right now, the D3 Hobart Hockey team has the spirit of those old lax teams , and it is awesome to watch them play...winning does that.

You are right but I recall worrying about this on LP and it was dismissed has in the sand by most back then. Boston U, Richmond and Colgate becoming more competitive squeezed us on one side while a host of state Us or jacksonvilles near beaches roll in with an open door policy on admissions and roster spots. We were a close fallback for kids wanting bates, tufts, Leigh, Cornell, brown but often kids who could and would transfer like many I know for academics who transferred into NESCAC and Ivys during my time, can spit off en names at any moment and probably more at school of less than 2,000 kids. Now we are bumping around the bottom of the LL competitively and don’t hold up well with most CC or half the ODAC anymore. The two go together but that’s no excuse or free pass here because we see what hockey has done while having the one in their face and exchange rate issues compounding their challenge much more.

When you look at who’s running things do you think “innovative growth mindset”?

Ill throw in our FB coach who tells the team every what how he did really good on his mcats. A 2000 graduate…I’m getting behind Craig Stine because I like him and he’s putting up numbers and Laxgunea and I debate Drennans efficacy but I think w agree he’s a value add still vs a lot of hangers on milking the campus for paychecks. Even in a friendly non profit I want people treating it like their own money and feeling like they have to sense their keep each and every year and never feel like they have lifetime employment and be accountable on the downside not asymmetric upside for all employees except the mostly “townie” admin who’s been cut to the bone so the supposed stars and producers do what exactly since like 95-2000 area?

If you were fine with BJ or Kerwick going what’s the “hold” va “sell” decision now for you with respect to the staff or making a change? Dead serious question not personal s**t or whatever. Someone hates liberals it seems from the liberal comment so I’d hope the answer isn’t “give the staff more resources now!” Which is a very federal govt centralized planning style mentality one would associate with those comments. Lower admissions standards? I think we might’ve tried that a little last decade across the colleges and it got us nowhere. Better attitude from me towards the staff? I sure hope not. We’re looking at maybe a third year of decking record potentially from 5-8, 4-9 to ???? And let’s not forget from the start of Q4 of UMass at home to the end of the first half at Richmond the following week, the first two conference games, the excuse for tightening the bench and how they do after OOC supposedly, the team was outscored 23-4 in THREE QUARTERS and didn’t show up for Richmond after giving up a 9-2 4th wittier at home in the A10 opener. But we will probably get a podcast on how that’s just the kids culture they’ve created on their own with no influence by the staff. Talks about living the kids but can’t sell them out enough seemingly at every turn.

Is a catalyst going to come from what we’ve got now or more likely someone else if one is being honest? This ain’t wait 6-7yrs on Shay to blossom which he was the of thief getting Ben Reeves from us. Only chance is the colleges catch a cultural hot steaks with certain lax heavy prep schools and can raise back up at least 7-8 spots in USNWR and pick ups. Handful of cuspy recruits meaning where we look like the recruiting short list outlier but catch a fad movement like James Madison had late 90s and first half of 2000s that really helped its overall rep and become as virtuous feedback loop for both the campus and athletics that they ride to a better overall place than they were prior which wasn’t bad itself (admin and AD need to work it too). Otherwise it needs something new at top. And maybe equal treatment the prior coaches got in a difference landscape but also far tougher competitive set/sos and everyone knew they were in a dogfight even the blowouts the opponents walked off beat up and fatigue beyond the scoreboards outcome. You pull a dolling then enjoy the type of play that games a two minute and think about doing that again. That can recaptured almost regardless of W/L record. A belief in themselves that I haven’t seen in ages.

[Laxgunea]

With regard to coaching, the decision is made. No one is going anywhere right now. It is a moot point.
With regard to Rhine, two players told be separately that he didn't like the school. That happens. Richmond is a hot school at the moment. It was the school, not the program he left.
On Patterson, I've heard Princeton.
Just to combat some innuendo here, I bet both would be welcomed back if they changed their minds. Raymond has allowed guys to rejoin in the past, and I don't see why this would be different.
Regarding Greene, I don't think he's leaving Hobart. But he may be leaving lacrosse. I heard it was somewhat complicated, and don't know details.
I know nothing about Campbell or Stillwell. Neither saw much playing time, so the losses seem minimal ... the kinds of losses that the portal encourages.
But this is the 2025 thread, not the 2024 thread. So let's move and look forward.

[man:down]

Observation-based thoughts on the portal. There are a bunch of 2024s who still have one red shirt year left (because of injury of just not getting on the field one year) but it doesn't seem like there was a big push (pull) to keep them: Cardinali, Duby, Turner, Ward, Kewley, Daly, Dullace, Delaney, Sotiropoulos (maybe more?) Of that group, 3 of them are in the portal. They may be looking elsewhere because of a wider variety of grad program options - in any division. Smart kids. I feel like Hobart could use a couple of those other guys who have experience back so I am not sure if the coaches tried or not. Greene had a million opportunities to cement his role on the field and he didn't do it (possibly more chances than any other kid). And there was a line of talented guys behind him grinding and waiting for their shot. Wasted opportunity for him and for the guys he was in front of so him leaving Hobart or lacrosse is sad but clears the log jam.

Rumor is that the Freshmen seemed to be negatively influenced by a couple (maybe 1) unhappy kids who didn't play and didn't try and became toxic. That kid is in the portal and you (and hopefully any coaches thinking about grabbing him) can figure out who he is. Sad if that rumor is true. Rhine going to Richmond where most players are better and most players are unhappy because the coach is a hard-ass won't be the answer. Stillwell seems good but he is just going to end up in line behind other guys again (unless he moves down to D3). If Patterson can use one year at Hobart as a springboard to an Ivy League education and diploma - good for him - but playing time (and happiness) won't come easily. Faiola leaving is sad because he is right there and could have the starting job in the blink of an eye (or one bad half for Wilson). Goalie and FOGO us a mental FU so I don't know how those kids handle it and I hope he kicks ass somewhere. Maybe Raymond finds some upgrades in the portal. He has said he'd never do that you the guys who have paid their dues but things change.

Will be interesting to see how if shakes out for sure.

[brodad]

Heard Faiola is staying.

[oldbartman]

Heard Faiola is staying.

That is a positive!!

[man:down]

That is great news - glad he was the one I said I was sad about!

[slumdogmillionaire]

Daly to Catholic U in DC for a graduate year. Hoping for nothing but the best for him.

[Farfromgeneva]

With regard to coaching, the decision is made. No one is going anywhere right now. It is a moot point.
With regard to Rhine, two players told be separately that he didn't like the school. That happens. Richmond is a hot school at the moment. It was the school, not the program he left.
On Patterson, I've heard Princeton.
Just to combat some innuendo here, I bet both would be welcomed back if they changed their minds. Raymond has allowed guys to rejoin in the past, and I don't see why this would be different.
Regarding Greene, I don't think he's leaving Hobart. But he may be leaving lacrosse. I heard it was somewhat complicated, and don't know details.
I know nothing about Campbell or Stillwell. Neither saw much playing time, so the losses seem minimal ... the kinds of losses that the portal encourages.
But this is the 2025 thread, not the 2024 thread. So let's move and look forward.

Moot except inertia sets in and focus moves elsewhere in a year if pressure and accountability isn’t vigilantly enforced. You know that’s especially true with admin in Geneva. We have Gearan for at least two more full school years as well I’m told.

Patterson is Penn pretty sure it’s even public now. No issue with a kid transferring to an IVy or close and understand Richmond but a lot of kids could transfer up at Hobart after a year or two and it doesn’t enter their psyche either.
Commonly going on what I’ve been told about welcoming kids back and have always said “if this is true” myself (or early on at this point whatever reasons and rational it’s a car crash and only one person is at the top so I don’t even care what the reasons are, are we recruiting the wrong kids? Kerwick was beaten up over attrition rates and waiving kids in too, that was part of his accountability and I don’t even think Matt is a great coach but got Bette results against a tougher OOC while Having similar attrition which means standards have changed)

Stillwell is legit.

[Farfromgeneva]

Heard Faiola is staying.

That is a positive!!

Didn’t we hear that unofficially like two weeks ago OBM?