It might surprise some to realize that Syracuse and Hobart are actually pretty strong rivals in the world of college lacrosse. Sure, the Orange have a commanding 68-25-2 lead in the all-time series but Hobart has certainly gotten in their licks.
It has been that way for as long as Desko can remember. Who knows, maybe it began as far back as April 29, 1916, when Syracuse played its first official college lacrosse game. Its foe was Hobart. The Statesmen won 9-1.
"You think about both programs and their place in the history of college lacrosse," Johnson said. "For me, just to be part of that is something pretty special. Both programs have over 700 victories. All the great players and coaches. It’s pretty neat to be part of something that’s bigger than you."
Hobart stunned SU 9-8 in 2006 but has not defeated the Orange in Geneva since 1986. Syracuse was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time of the 16-13 setback and Hobart was still in Division III.
The two teams play for the Kraus-Simmons Trophy tonight at 7pm in Geneva, NY. The trophy is named for the most famous coaches in both school's history. The Orange have held on to it for three years now (and 22 of the 24 since its inception)...no reason not to make it another year. (Anyone have a photo of the elusive trophy? Can we drink out of it?)
The Orange are coming off a tough mini-stretch that saw a loss to Virginia and wins over Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Hobart (2-3) begins an "easy" stretch for SU, followed by Villanova (4-2) and Albany (0-7!).
CitrusTV has some extensive pre-game coverage of the game, including an interview with Hobart Head Coach T.W. Johnson.