AKRON, OH – Hartwick men's soccer led #1 Akron 2-1 deep into the second half, but two Zips' goals in the final 19 minutes denied the Hawks the victory in front of over 2100 fans at Lee Jackson Field Saturday night. The loss for the Hawks is their first in close to two months, snapping an 11-game unbeaten streak. With the comeback win, the Zips wrap up the regular season 18-0-0 heading into the Mid-American Conference Tournament next weekend.
Midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong broke a 2-2 deadlock with his second goal of the game with just 6:54 left in the game for the Akron game-winner. Blair Gavin and Teal Bunbury were credited with the assists on the play. The Hawks were able to get one more shot off in the final few minutes as they looked to tie the score, but junior Jumol Harewood's (Brooklyn, NY/Bryant & Stratton) shot went high and over the Akron net.
The Zips outshot the Hawks 23-5 in the match, including a 15-3 margin in the second half. The Zips also took nine of the game's 10 corners on the night.
The game did not begin the way the Hawks had hoped as the Zips drew first blood in the opening minutes of the first half. A foul just outside the Hartwick 18-yard box gave Akron the first solid scoring chance of the match. Ampaipitakwong converted the free kick from 22 yards out past Hartwick keeper Jeremy Vuolo (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) for a 1-0 lead for the hosts after just 6:58.
Both teams traded chances for the next 20 minutes of action until a Hartwick throw-in deep in Akron territory produced the tying goal for Hartwick. Hawk junior back Owen Botting (Billingshurst, England/Heidelberg College) launched the ball into the box to senior defender Nick Pratico (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan), whose header eluded Akron keeper David Meves. It was Pratico's third tally of the year and it marked just the fifth goal allowed by the Zips in their 18 matches.
Just 6:41 after tying the match, the Hawks forged ahead as junior Michael Cunningham's (Dunedin, New Zealand/John McGlashan) 18-yard strike made it 2-1. Botting was credited with the assist as the play began on another throw-in. The goal was Cunningham's third of the season. It was also the first time all season that a team has scored more than a goal on the Zips and just the second time in the last two years.
The half ended with the Hawks holding the lead. The Zips held an 8-3 advantage in shots in the opening 45 minutes.
After Hartwick started the second half with a corner and a shot off target, the Zips took over taking six shots and five corners as they pressed to even the match. Their persistence paid off in the 72nd minute as Chris Korb rocketed a shot from 35 yards out past Vuolo to tie the score at two.
Akron would get off three more shots after the game-tying tally, all off target, before a straight red card on Cunningham in the 78th minute forced Hartwick to play down a man for the remainder of the game. After five minutes of the man-advantage, Bunbury played a through ball to Gavin who back-heeled the ball to Ampaipitakwong for the clincher.
Vuolo would end the match making three saves. Meves stopped two Hartwick shots.
Despite the setback, Hartwick (9-3-4, 3-1-2 MAC) clinched the second seed in the MAC Tournament earlier in the day as Buffalo won 2-1 over Western Michigan. The Hawks and Broncos will battle it out Nov. 13th at 3 p.m. for a spot in the MAC title game. In the other semifinal at 6 p.m., Akron plays fourth-seed Northern Illinois. The Hawks will need a pair of solid results on the weekend for a chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Men's College Cup. This season, the MAC Conference is not one of the 21 conferences across the country with an automatic bid for its champion.
