ONEONTA, NY – A goal in the 33^rd minute for visiting University of Vermont held up as the Catamounts defeated Hartwick’s men’s soccer team 1-0 Tuesday night on Elmore Field. The result spoiled the Hawks’ Senior Night, as six players were recognized prior to the match.
            The loss drops the Hawks’ overall record to 7-5-3 and halts their unbeaten streak at four games. It also marks the first home loss of the season for ’Wick (3-1-3) and first since a 2-1 setback in early September 2014 to St. Peter’s.
            Hartwick had chances in each half to get the goal it needed. The Hawks had their first good opportunity with just under 20 minutes left in the first. Jamie O’Grady (Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk) played a pass to Wyatt Scott (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse), who got behind the UVM defense. His touch took him slightly away from goal and he sent his shot high and wide from inside the 18.
            The Catamounts got the only goal of the game with 12:55 left in the half. A UVM player served the ball into the Hartwick box and a Hawk defender attempted to settle it, but Elliot Maker pounced on the ball and put it past Lenny Wilson (Aberdeen, Scotland/Cults Academy) from 10 yards.
            Hartwick missed a golden opportunity six and a half minutes from halftime. A perfect through ball from David Styles (Bognor Regis, England/St. Phillip Howard) split the Catamount back line and hit Scott in stride. He walked in alone with UVM keeper Eric Venezia, but he would come up with a save on Scott’s effort to preserve the 1-0 lead at the break.
            In the second half, the Catamounts were content sitting on their lead as the Hawks had much of the ball possession and scoring chances. O’Grady had two cracks at tying the game in a 12-minute span. The first came as Scott snuck a short pass from the top of the box in for O’Grady. His sliding one-timer trickled just wide of the right post. He would later put a header inches wide of the target from Marc Russell (Glasgow, Scotland/Woodfarm).
            With 18 and a half minutes left, UVM had its only real chance of the half. Jackson Dayton broke down the left side and got into the box before unleashing a shot on the goal that forced a diving stop from Wilson. The ’Wick keeper couldn’t hang on to the rebound but recovered well to deny a follow-up shot from Maker.
            Hartwick generated two more chances with under 11 and a half minutes left in the contest. Junior back Kit Tregear (Brighton, England/BHASVIC) started both of them. The first was a long ball from midfield on the near sideline. O’Grady won Tregear’s service on the far post, heading it back across goal for Mike Rood (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley) and his header was caught by a leaping Venezia.
            Less than two minutes later, Tregear played a ball for Rood to run onto up the near side. Rood got to it first before a pair of Catamount defenders. His low, far-post shot looked to have a chance, but Venezia dove to his right and pushed the ball away from the danger area.
            The Hawks would close the game out with a 14-8 edge in shots, including a 9-3 margin in the second half. Wilson would make four saves for Hartwick. Venezia finished with six for UVM.
            The match served as the final non-conference game for the Hawks of the regular season. They have two Sun Belt Conference matches remaining, both on the road, at Appalachian State on Saturday, October 31 and at Howard University on Saturday, November 7.
            Prior to the match, ’Wick seniors Styles, Russell, Nick Hills (Garden Suburb, Australia/U. of Newcastle), Ross MacKinnon (Glasgow, Scotland/Jordanhill School), Dean Fowler (Sydney, Australia/Colo), and Jack Miller (Commack, NY/Commack) were honored for their contributions to the program. Styles, Russell, Hills, MacKinnon, and Fowler each played all 90 minutes on the night.