UTICA, NY – The Hartwick field hockey team traveled to Utica College for their second Empire 8 match of the season on Tuesday afternoon. 'Wick looked to set a program record for victories to begin a season after tying the previous mark on Saturday. The host Pioneers, however, scored a pair of second-half goals to come away with a 2-1 victory over the Hawks.

Neither team managed to get on the board in the first half but less than 15 minutes into the second, Utica opened the scoring. With under ten minutes left in regulation, junior Lex Richards (Northport, NY/Northport) was able to knot the score at 1-1 on a penalty stroke. Unfortunately, less than three minutes later, the Pioneers would net the final goal of the match to tab its first win of the season and end Hartwick's run at six games.

Utica credited the first scoring play of the match to Rachel Scaramuzzino on a dish from Joanna Gaertner. Gaertner gathered the ball 10 yards out and eventually got it into the possession of Scaramuzzino to post the first point.
Richards, who had registered seven points total for the Hawks coming into today, gained two more after the penalty stroke in the 60^th minute.

Scaramuzzino also gave the Pioneers the final advantage. Gaertner, again earning the assist, gathered the ball and attempted a shot. Scaramuzzino tipped the ball in beyond Shannon Carter's (Falls Church, VA/J.E.B. Stuart) reach to put the game in Utica's favor.

Unable to answer, Hartwick would fall to 6-1 (1-1 E8) while Utica sees its season mark improve to 1-6 (1-2 E8).

This Saturday, Hartwick plays in another conference match. In a Code Blue event, the Hawks host Washington and Jefferson at Wright Stadium. The action begins at 1 p.m.