Box Score

MORGANTOWN, WV – Visiting Hartwick College dropped a 3-1 Mid-American Conference match on Sunday at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown, WV. The Hawks trailed 2-0 at halftime but climbed back into the game 15 minutes into the second half on a goal from Cleyon Brown (Kingston, Jamaica/Berkshire School). The momentum was short-lived as the Mountaineers doubled their lead less than a minute later en route to the victory.
           
The Hawks slip to 4-6-2 overall and 1-2 in the MAC with the setback. WVU improves to 8-3-2 and 3-0-1 in the league standings.
           
'Wick's afternoon did not start off well as the hosts jumped in front after only 89 seconds. Buckner left his line to clear a ball in the Hartwick box but his low clearance went directly to Uwem Etuk 22 yards out. Etuk headed the ball back into the box to Majed Osman and he slotted home past Buckner for the early one-goal lead.
           
Etuk got one of his own in the 25^th minute to add to the Mountaineer lead. He unleashed a strong left-footed shot that Buckner got a piece of but couldn't keep out as it trickled over the line.
           
“The result was definitely disappointing,” said Hartwick head coach John Scott. “I didn't feel they had to work for those first two goals. We knew it was going to be a difficult match but we can't give away goals like that.”
           
Brown's goal was his team-leading sixth of the season. It came following a corner kick after the Hawks maintained possession in the Mountaineer end for much of the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Senior midfielder Tyler Bailey (Spencer, NY/Binghamton Univ.) drove a low corner into the WVU box and it was played in front of goal by defender Jack Miller (Commack, NY/Commack). Brown was inside the six-yard box and he touched Miller's ball past Mountaineer keeper Pat Eavenson to cut the host lead in half.
           
Just fifty-five seconds later, however, Peabo Doue made a long run up the left side line and played a cross on the ground in front to Shadow Sebele who finished past Hartwick goalkeeper Tom Buckner (Oxford, England/Henley College) to the far post to build the West Virginia lead up again.
           
The Hawks nearly got their second tally less than eight minutes after Sebele's goal from defender David Styles (Bognor Regis, England/St. Phillip Howard). He collected the ball just inside the corner of the WVU 18-yard box and hammered a left-footed shot off the crossbar but the game remained 3-1.
           
“We got back into the game with our goal,” added Scott. “But they came right down and got the two-goal cushion which was very deflating. If Styles' shot goes in, we're right back in it.”
           
West Virginia took 12 shots in the match to Hartwick's seven. The Mountaineers held just a 6-5 edge in the second half of play. Buckner stopped two shots in the game for the Hawks. Eavenson got the win in goal for WVU but was not credited with a save.
           
The loss for Hartwick drops their record against the Mountaineers to 2-1 all-time. The Hawks previously won 3-2 in overtime in 1997 and 2-1 in 2001.
           
“This was not a make or break game for us within the MAC,” said Scott. “We've still got four games left in the conference but we're going to need a positive result next weekend at Western Michigan.”
           
Hartwick hosts Albany on Wednesday night in a non-conference match on Elmore Field. 'Wick travels to Kalamazoo, MI to meet the Broncos next Sunday at 2 p.m.