ONEONTA, NY – Top-seeded Hartwick kept high-powered third-seeded Stevens off the scoreboard for 110 minutes for a 0-0 tie to claim a share of its first Empire 8 Conference championship in the program's history on Saturday on Elmore Field. The two teams would head to a shootout to determine the Empire 8's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament where the Ducks would prevail, 3-2.
           
The Hawks wrap up their season with a record of 13-5-2. The win total is tied for the second-highest since the program's inception in 1980. The Hawks' 13 shutouts in 19 games now stands as the program's benchmark.
           
Stevens' Julia Panko registered the first chance of the game for either team roughly 12 minutes in when she received the ball in the box, eluded a 'Wick defender, and fired to force a point blank save from Cassandra Robataille (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam). Little else troubled either goalkeeper and the half ended 0-0 with the Ducks holding a 7-2 edge in shots.
           
With 21 minutes left in the game, a Rachel Weir (New Milford, CT/New Milford) ball made its way to Ashley Connolly (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City). She took a touch and fired in the box but it was turned away. Brooke Wojciechowski (West Bridgewater, MA/West Bridgewater) got the rebound and shot across the goal mouth but it went wide of goal.
           
Shortly after, Stevens' Olivia Butera sent a shot from in close over the Hartwick crossbar. Sierra Bentley (Worcester, NY/Schenevus) had a shot go wide with under 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Panko had a free kick go just wide with 1:45 left.
           
In the overtime periods, the Ducks held a slight 4-3 advantage in shots. Bentley's long-range effort was on target but right at keeper Lindsey Mahnken two and a half minutes into the first extra session. Kiley Richardson (Flanders, NJ/Roxbury) had a long free kick go wide in the second overtime. A deep Panko corner with four minutes to go in the second overtime forced Robataille to punch the ball away on the goal line to preserve the 0-0 tie.
           
Hartwick went first in the shootout but Mahnken came up with a save on Rachel Pine's (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) shot. Stevens and Hartwick then traded a pair of goals. Panko and Sammy Mount converted for the Ducks. Maddy Paul (Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale) and Bentley scored for the Hawks.
           
In the third round, Robataille made a diving stop of Erica O'Kelly and the score was 2-2 with two rounds remaining. Mahnken then went up high to stop Courtney Velho's (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy) shot and Emily Damrell scored to put Stevens up 3-2. Needing to convert, Richardson put her shot high and the Ducks prevailed in the shootout 3-2.
           
The Ducks would finish the match with a 19-10 edge in shots. They had a 5-2 advantage in corners. Robataille finished the game with seven saves to claim her ninth shutout of the season. Mahnken, who was named the Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player, made five saves in the game and an additional two in the shootout. Connolly, Madison Miller (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta), and Pine were selected to the All-Tournament Team.
           
Hartwick closes out the year conceding only two goals to conference foes, both to Stevens in a 2-1 loss on September 23. The Hawks ended the season shutting out nine straight Empire 8 opponents.