Hawks Top Alfred 3-0 to Advance to First Empire 8 Championship Match
ONEONTA, NY – Three different Hawks found the net as the #1 seeded Hartwick's women's soccer team earned a 3-0 shutout victory over #4 Alfred on Friday in the semifinal round of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. Hartwick advances to the Empire 8 championship game for the first time in program history and sets the program record for shutouts in a season with 12.
The Hawks had plenty of scoring chances in the opening half but had to wait nearly the duration to jump in front.
Ashley Connolly (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) had the first chance on a breakaway seven minutes into the match but her shot was stopped by Alfred goalkeeper Sammy Jo Shanahan. Eight minutes later,
Samantha Ford (Acton, MA/Acton Boxborough Regional) had a shot on target that was stopped by Shanahan.
With 13 minutes left in the half and again with less than six remaining,
Rachel Weir (New Milford, CT/New Milford) had a pair of opportunities right at Shanahan.
The Hawks finally broke through at the 43:24 mark.
Maddy Paul (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale) played a ball through the AU defense sending Connolly in on another breakaway. She got into the box and calmly tucked away her third tally of the season and what would prove to be the game-winner.
Allie Ricci (Millstone, NJ/Saint John Vianney) had a breakaway shot saved by Shanahan seven minutes into the second half as the Hawks pressed for an insurance goal.
Rachel Pine (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) then headed a ball off the crossbar eight minutes later.
The cushion finally came at the 72:05 mark as
Dana Caputo (Commack, NY/Commack) played a ball in which left
Sierra Bentley (Worcester, NY/Schenevus) alone with Shannahan. Bentley put her shot low and Shanahan got a piece of it but it trickled over the line for a 2-0 advantage.
Just over four minutes later,
Sara McGiff (Brookhaven, NY/St. Anthony's) hammered home Hartwick's third goal of the night from just inside the 18 to put the game away. It was her first goal of the season.
The Hawks would close the match with a 17-5 advantage in shots. They earned eight corners to Alfred's two.
AU's season comes to a close with a 7-9-3 record. Hartwick plays the winner of the Nazareth-Stevens semifinal in tomorrow's title game at 6 p.m. with an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake.