Cacciola’s Hat Trick Lifts Hartwick Past Utica And Into Empire 8 Women's Soccer Semifinals

Women's Soccer | 11/2/2021 10:49:00 PM

ONEONTA, NY – The Hartwick women's soccer team earned a 4-1 win over Utica in the Empire 8 First Round on Tuesday night, avenging a loss from just three days ago. Gianna Cacciola (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) picked up her first career hat trick and added an assist in the victory. The win puts the Hawks (7-5-4) into the Empire 8 Semifinals for the fifth consecutive season, while the Pioneers finish their year at 8-8-1.

The Hawks move on to the Empire 8 Semifinals as a result of the win. They will travel to Rochester on Thursday to take on top-seeded Nazareth at 2 p.m. The Golden Flyers came out on top in the regular season meeting between the two teams, defeating the Hawks 1-0 in Rochester on October 23.

Grace Byrne (Lynbrook, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) and Cacciola connected for the opening goal just over nine minutes in. Byrne chased down a ball off the right side of the box and played it in to Cacciola. Cacciola controlled the volley, turned, and whipped one into the far corner of the net for a beautiful icebreaker.

Things did not go as smoothly as planned for the hosts out of the halftime break. After the Hartwick back line misplayed Jacinta Kaminski's ball forward, Ro Hernandez was in on goal. Sara Staup (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) made the initial save, but Hernandez was right there to pick up the rebound and equalize in the 47th minute. Staup kept the game tied just a couple minutes later, leaping to stop a Kaela Mochak effort.

After a Utica corner kick in the 60th minute, the Hawks sprung out on the counterattack. Julia Collado played a left-footed ball from her own half out to a streaking Cacciola, who won the ball from a Utica back, caught Connolly leaning, and finished into the lower right corner for the 2-1 lead.

In the 80th minute, Madi McGuire (Goshen, NY/Goshen) played one into the box from the right touchline. Collado altered the effort of a Utica back, and the resulting deflection came right to Cacciola, who neatly finished into the lower left corner for her hat trick. Cacciola decided to spread the wealth on the Hawks' fourth goal, as her ball through the box went by a pair of Utica defenders and to the foot of Byrne, who tucked it into the lower left corner for the icing on the cake.