Two Hobart lacrosse players were named to the preseason All-ECAC Team. Senior midfielder Tyler Cassell and senior goalie Max Silberlicht were projected to be all-stars in a vote of the conference's coaches released today by Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Yearbook.

The publication also revealed the ECAC's preseason coaches' poll. Hobart was picked to finish fifth in the eight team conference. Loyola was chosen to lead the league followed by Ohio State, Denver and Fairfield. Air Force, Bellermine, and Quinnipiac were picked to finish sixth through eighth, respectively.

A 2009 All-ECAC second team pick, Cassell led the Statesmen with 22 goals, including six extra-man tallies. He notched a hat trick at Binghamton and produced a season-high four goals four days later at Providence. Cassell recorded another hat trick at Penn State.

Named a preseason All-American by Face-Off Yearbook earlier this week, Silberlicht played all but 6 minutes and 27 seconds in the cage for Hobart in 2009, compiling 174 saves, a 7-7 record, a .613 save percentage, and a 7.91 goals against average (GAA). He was fifth in the nation in save percentage and 10th in GAA. Silberlicht matched his career-high with 18 saves against UMass. He held the Minutemen to a season-low seven goals. Silberlicht also limited Binghamton (4) and Bucknell (2) to their lowest scoring game of the season.

Silberlicht enters his senior season with 375 saves, a .580 save percentage, an 8.77 GAA, and a 15-16 record. Among Hobart's Division I goalies, he ranks fourth in career saves (17 behind No. 3 Dan Valente '05), second in career save percentage (.020 shy of Fred Pawlikowski's mark), first in GAA (0.74 better than Valente), and second in wins (1 behind Mike Borsz '03).

Hobart returns 27 members of last season's squad, including six starters. The Statesmen posted a 7-7 overall record in 2009.