ELMIRA, NY - Senior Dave Aitchison (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale) and sophomore Harry Hughes (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East) each scored four times to guide Hartwick's men's lacrosse team to an 11-10 victory over Elmira College in a game played at Elmira Free Academy on Saturday. The win is the first in the Empire 8 for the Hawks and snaps a five-game winless streak. 'Wick is now 6-7 overall and 1-4 in the conference play. Elmira falls to 3-5 and 0-4.
Hartwick led by as many as four goals in the second half of play. The hosts would battle back to cut the advantage to one three times in the second half, but the Hawks would hold them off for the victory.
Hughes added an assist for a five-point game. He now has 71 career goals for the Hawks in just two seasons. Aitchison's four goals gives him 57 for his career. Coupled with 77 assists, he now has 134 points, only 13 shy of cracking the all-time top-10 at the College.
Ian Putnam (N. Pomfret, VT/Proctor Academy) contributed a goal and an assist for the Hawks. Jake Cooper (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) and Dane Molina (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) also tallied for 'Wick.
The first quarter of play saw eight goals between the two sides. Putnam gave the Hawks the edge but two Soaring Eagle goals 23 seconds apart made it 2-1 EC. Aitchison, Molina, and Hughes notched consecutive goals for 'Wick for a 4-2 edge. Elmira fought back with two goals in the last 2:31 to even things after one quarter.
It was all Hartwick in the second as it held an 11-3 edge in shots and outscored Elmira 3-0. Aitchison gave the Hawks the lead for good 1:28 into the period, and Hughes tallied 1:14 later and added his third of the game two and a half minutes from halftime for a 7-4 Hartwick advantage.
Cooper's tally gave 'Wick a four-goal lead 28 seconds into the third quarter. Back-to-back scores from Elmira 42 seconds apart cut the deficit to two, 8-6, but Aitchson quickly answered for the Hawks to extend the lead.
Two straight man-up tallies from Jackson Correia sliced the Hartwick advantage to one, 9-8, midway through the third. Aitchison gave Hartwick some breathing room with his fourth of the day with 1:42 left before the end of the quarter.
In the deciding frame, Elmira made it a one-goal game with 8:18 left. Putnam would set up Hughes for his fourth tally with under seven minutes remaining, but EC's Rick Acorn made it 11-10 with 3:02 left.
The Soaring Eagles fired three shots at Hartwick keeper Nick Triano (N. Andover, MA/St. Johns Prep) in the next two and a half minutes but each of them was wide of the target. EC had one last-ditch effort on Kenny Keirstead's shot with a second left. Triano, however, turned it away to ensure the Hawks' victory.
Hartwick outshot the Soaring Eagles by a wide margin of 36-20. EC was one better in ground balls, 25-24, and the hosts won 15 of 21 face-offs on the day.
Elmira's Correia and Acorn each had four goals. Dustin Gatt added a goal, two assists, and a game-high five ground balls.
Jake Cooper and his twin brother Max (pictured) each secured a team-best four ground balls for the Blue and White. Senior defender Alex Skvarch (Syracuse, NY/Marcellus) added three ground balls and he contributed a game-high three caused turnovers.
Triano got the win in goal making three saves in the final three periods of play. Carl Lengel (Lynbrook, NY/Lynbrook) played between the pipes in the first quarter.
Hartwick next plays on Wednesday, April 20th in another Empire 8 game versus Utica College. Game time is 4 p.m. at Wright Stadium.
