Hartwick Punches Ticket to 2022 Empire 8 Tournament With Win Over Utica

Men's Lacrosse | 4/26/2022 8:06:00 PM

ONEONTA, NY – The Hartwick Hawks took on the Pioneers of Utica today in Wright Stadium to finish up their regular season campaign, ultimately winning and securing the final spot in Empire 8 playoffs. An afternoon that was very back and forth ended with the Hawks ahead 18-13.  Hartwick finished their regular season at 6-5 on the year and 3-3 in the Empire 8 regular season. Utica dropped to 6-8 on the year and 2-3 in Empire 8 regular season play.

Utica opened up the scoring for the day with 14:05 left to play in the first, but it was quickly answered by James Schneider when he came flying out of the substitution box and beat his man to the middle of the field and snuck an on the run bouncer between the Utica keeper's legs. Utica once again took the advantage when they scored another and made the game 2-1 with 8:08 left in the first. Kainen Francis-Thompson started his day early with 6:59 left in the first when he found Shayne Kerrigan on the back side of the crease for a one-on-one battle with the Utica keeper. Thompson continued his big day five minutes later when he hit Dylan Ferguson with a no-look pass on the man up and made the score 3-2. Utica tied the games at 3 with 47 seconds left in the first. 

The Hawks started the scoring in the second quarter when Ferguson found Francis-Thompson on the doorstep who attempted an underhand shot that was saved, but he caught the rebound and dunked it over the keeper's head to make the board read 4-3 with 14:06 in the second. The Pioneers wouldn't let the Hawks creep away when they once again tied the game at 4, and then with 10:43 left in the half took the lead once again to make the score 5-4. With 10:11 on the clock the Hawks had a vicious ride that led to a Utica violation and gave Garrett Frost the ball off the restart who found Thompson creeping on the back side for a 5-5 equalizer. Francis-Thompson secured his first half hat-trick when Jared Tiong-Smith made a big save that led to a quick clear and an assist from Pete Conley. The Hawks took their biggest lead of the first half with 5:43 left when Evan Johanns found Schneider who stuttered past his defender and skipped a bounce shot past the Utica keeper. Utica would get the game back to one, but Tiong-Smith had a save off his chest and quickly found Tyler Coleman breaking up field where he took advantage of the odd man break and hit Francis-Thompson who stung the top left corner. Tiong-Smith ended the first half at 8-6 in favor of the Hawks with a huge save from an Utica shot on the doorstep.

The Hawks stayed hot in the second half when they scored the first two. First it was Conley who found Frost on the man-up who sniped the top right corner, and then it was Francis-Thompson who took his defender and spun to the inside and faked the goal low and scored high to made the game 10-6 with 12:17 left in the period. The Pioneers got the game back to three goals one minute later, but Tyler Nocito hit his man with a swim dodge and then changed hands and tallied a goal of his own to make the game 11-7. A CJ Denson forced turnover that led to a Coleman ground ball, clear, and assist to Kyle Pearson for the first of the Hawks three goal run. The Hawks found their second goal a little over a minute later when Francis-Thompson took his man and found Conley on the crease for a quick stick goal. Once again Thompson took his whizzed a shot five-hole on the Utica keeper. Utica slowed the Hawks 3 goal run with a goal of their own with 53 seconds left in third. The Hawks finished the third period scoring with 21 seconds left when Ferguson found Thompson on the crease for an underhand goal and made the score 15-9 heading into the fourth.

The Pioneers showed their grit and that they wouldn't quit when they opened up the fourth quarter with a three goal run of their own. Once again, it was Tiong-Smith who stood on his head and got the clear out to Clark, who advanced it to Conley who found Johanns for the goal. Conley a minute later found Kerrigan for a goal and five goal lead. Utica tallied their final goal of the day with three minutes left, but it was the hot hand Thompson who juked out the Pioneers goalie once more from a Conley pass to seal the game at 18-13.

Kainen Francis-Thompson led the way for the Hawks tallying eleven points on eight goals, and three assists. Shayne Kerrigan and James Schneider both tallied two goals of their own. Evan Johanns, Dylan Ferguson, and Garrett Frost all tallied a goal and an assist, while Tyler Nocito and Kyle Pearson had one each. Pete Conley had a goal of his own, and tallied five assists. Jared Tiong-Smith  saved 9 on the day.

The Hawks have some time to prepare for the Empire 8 postseason, with the semifinal action to begin on May 4  The Hawks will travel to the top-seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals.  The game time is not yet determined.