ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick's women's soccer team took care of business on Saturday, handling Sage 2-0 to close out the regular season. The Hawks finish with a 7-1 record in the Empire 8 and earn the right to host the conference tournament next Friday and Saturday on Elmore Field.
           
The Hawks secured their 11^th shutout of the season Saturday, which ties the program record set in 1990.
           
'Wick struck in the 8^th minute to grab an early lead. Kiley Richardson (Flanders, NJ/Roxbury) played a through ball near midfield which sprung Allie Ricci (Millstone, NJ/Saint John Vianney) on a breakaway. Closing in on goal, Ricci fired a shot that was saved by Sage keeper Emma Augustine. The rebound came all the way out to the top of the 18-yard box to senior Bridget Reilly (Purdys, NY/Somers). She hammered a near-post shot that a diving Augustine couldn't get a hand on and the Hawks were up 1-0. It marked Reilly's first goal in a Hartwick uniform.
           
The Hawks would control play in the second half with a strong wind to their backs. They would finish the half with a 14-3 edge in shots.
           
'Wick got its insurance goal less than seven minutes into the second half. Richardson drilled a direct kick from 40 yards away in on goal. Augustine made the initial save but Rachel Pine (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) cleaned up the rebound with a header goal to push the lead to 2-0.
           
Less than nine minutes later, senior Sierra Bentley (Worcester, NY/Schenevus) nearly made it 3-0 after she smacked a direct kick off the crossbar. Later, classmate Brooke Wojciechowski's (West Bridgewater, MA/West Bridgewater) back heel off a Courtney Velho (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy) corner needed a stop from a Sage defender on the goal line to keep it out.
           
Cassandra Robataille (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) made six saves in the game to record her seventh clean sheet of the season. Augustine made 12 stops for the Gators.
           
The game served as Hartwick's Senior Day. Ricci, Reilly, Bentley, Wojciechowski, Alexis Epstein (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow), Maddy Paul (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale), Ashley Connolly (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City), and Taylor Lockwood (Schenectady, NY/The Albany Academies) were recognized for their contributions to the program prior to the match.
           
Hartwick (12-5-1) will now host the Empire 8 semifinals on Friday, November 3. The Hawks play in the opener at 4 p.m. against the No. 4 seed, which will be determined later today. No. 2 Nazareth and No. 3 Stevens will play in the evening's second semifinal at 7 p.m. The championship is tentatively slated for Saturday at 7 p.m.