ONEONTA, NY - Visiting Marist College (4-3) scored twice in the first half of play and held on late for a 3-2 road victory over Hartwick College on Wednesday night at Elmore Field. Hartwick battled back from a 3-1 deficit with 15 minutes left but could not find the tying goal despite several late chances.
The Hawks, who trailed 3-1 after a Marist goal in the 58th minute, pulled to within one goal as senior Michael Cunningham (Dunedin, New Zealand/John McGlasham) registered his second tally of the year at the 76:19 mark. Cunningham blasted a one-timer from 16 yards out following a Steven Amaya (Oakland Gardens, NY/MLK) end line cross.
Hartwick pressed for the tying goal in the late stages as they out-shot the Red Foxes 7-0 over the final 15 minutes. Cunningham and senior Evan Doan (Garland, TX/N. Garland) both had shots saved by Marist goalie Joe Pilla and forward Dan Summers (Banstead, England/Sutton Grammar) had one shot blocked and another off the target in the 83rd and 84th minute, respectively.
Two minutes later, Summers rocketed a shot from outside the 18-yard box right at Pilla who deflected the ball up and over the crossbar to force a corner kick. Defender Owen Botting (Billingshurst, England/Heidelberg College) swung the corner into the box and Summers got his head to the ball but it ricocheted off the post for the Hawks' closest chance at evening the score. Doan had one last shot blocked in the 89th minute and the Foxes escaped with the victory.
Marist took the lead in the 16th minute as Stephan Brossard's hard low shot forced a diving save from 'Wick goalkeeper Jake Wright (Los Angeles, CA/Cal State Northridge) and James Curley cleaned up the rebound from eight yards out. The Red Foxes got some breathing room in the 32nd minute as Krystian Witkowski one-timed a cross from Fred Osbourne for a 2-0 lead.
Four minutes later, Jason Keefe (Springfield, MA/Springfield) picked up a poor Marist clearance in the box and slipped the ball to Amaya, who buried his shot from 12 yards out to the far post to cut the Hartwick deficit in half. It marked Keefe's first point as a Hawk.
In the second half, Marist added to their lead at the 57:59 mark as Brossard's low, hard cross from the right side of goal found Mike McGowan in front for a 3-1 edge.
The Red Foxes ended the match with a 17-15 advantage in shots. The Hawks held a 10-8 edge in the second half. Hartwick also took six corners to Marist's two. Wright finished the game with three saves. Pilla made five in the Marist goal.
The Hawks are back on Elmore on Saturday as they host Hartford at 7 p.m.
