Field Hockey | 9/25/2021 9:08:00 PM
WASHINGTON, PA – A long first road trip proved fruitful for the Hartwick field hockey team, as the Hawks took down Washington & Jefferson in their Empire 8 opener on Saturday night, 3-1. With the win, the Hawks are now 4-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while W&J is 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the E8.
The two sides played a scoreless opening 13 minutes before Hartwick grabbed a 1-0 lead. Off a penalty corner, the ball found its way to the front of the goal area where an eager Lex Matarazzo (Commack, NY/Commack) pounced on it and sent it home for the opening goal at 13:08.
The Hawks had five more shots and four penalty corners in the second quarter, and the Presidents had three consecutive penalty corners near the end of the half, but neither team could get on the board as the score remained 1-0 at the break.
Hartwick continued their possession dominance throughout the third and into the fourth, but still could not crack Presidents' keeper Anastacia Godat again. That all changed in the 55th minute, when Julie Ruzzi (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) dodged a defender after a Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) corner and smoked a beautiful long-range backhand into the far corner for the insurance goal. Holly Calore (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) made sure it would stick just 1:27 later, scoring off another Hartwick corner, assisted by Libby Fortin (State College, PA/State College Area).
The hosts managed to get one back with 70 seconds left off a corner of their own, as Lindsey Diggan's hard shot ruined the shutout bid of Madison Maddocks (Garrison, NY/Walter Panas), but time ran out on the Presidents shortly thereafter.
Ruzzi led all comers in shots, with a season-high five. Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) was right behind her with four, while Calore and Fortin put up two apiece. Maddocks made two saves over 60 minutes to earn the win.
Hartwick dominated the shot count, with a 17 to 5 lead in the category; they also had a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal as well as an 11-5 differential in penalty corners.
'Wick is back to it next Saturday for another Empire 8 matchup, as they take on Houghton at 11 a.m. on the Wright Stadium turf.