CAPE COD, MA – The Hartwick women's basketball season continues. On Monday afternoon, the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced its field for the Metro Region Tournament. The Hawks have been selected as the second seed in the eight-team tournament and will face the seventh seed, College of Staten Island in the opening round.
           
Despite the number two seed, the Hawks will find themselves on the road throughout the tournament. Due to a lack of declared teams in Upstate Region, the ECAC shipped Hartwick to the Metro. As a result of the move, the Hawks cannot serve as host.
           
“We are excited to be going to postseason and to play in the ECAC Tournament,” stated Hartwick head coach Missy West. “Extra games mean extra opportunities to get better. We need to enjoy this opportunity, work hard, and bring home the championship.”
           
The Hawks will play at the College of Staten Island on Wednesday, February 27 at 6 p.m. It will mark the first meeting between the Hawks and Dolphins.
           
A victory at Staten Island on Wednesday would put the Hawks into Saturday's semifinal round with the championship game to follow on Sunday. The highest remaining seed from Wednesday would serve as host for the final two rounds. 
           
Hartwick and Staten Island have two common opponents this season in Stevens and St. Joseph's-Brooklyn. The Hawks swept Stevens in three meetings and defeated St. Joe's by 20 points at the NYU Tournament to start the year. CSI lost to the Ducks 61-45 and beat St. Joseph's by 12.
           
Hartwick has played three of the remaining teams in the tournament field. 'Wick is 3-2 all-time against Mount Saint Mary and 1-0 against Rutgers-Newark. The Hawks have never beaten Brooklyn (0-3) with the last meeting coming in 1977.
           
'Wick will be making its fourth appearance in an ECAC Tournament. The Hawks have never won the event. The program participated for the first time in 1989. It also made consecutive trips in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
           
In 1989, the squad defeated Utica but fell the following day in the finals to Keuka in overtime, 69-64. The Hawks lost in their first game to Oneonta State in 2004 and to Union in 2005.
             
           
2013 ECAC Metro Championship Seeding
#1 Brooklyn (22-6)
#2 Hartwick (19-8)
#3 Rutgers-Newark (17-9)
#4 Mount Saint Mary (17-9)
#5 Ramapo (17-9)
#6 Stevens Institute of Technology (14-12)
#7 College of Staten Island (16-11)
#8 SUNY Purchase (17-10)