ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick jumped in front for good in the third quarter and blanked visiting Oswego for over 38 consecutive minutes on Wednesday as the Hawks earned a 6-5 victory over the Lakers at Wright Stadium. The game marked the season opener for both teams.
           
'Wick, which begins the season with a victory for the first time since 2013, out-scored the Lakers 4-0 in the middle quarters. Wyatt Long (Hardwick, NJ/Blair Academy), playing in his first collegiate game, scored three goals for the Hawks. Sam Ferguson (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) contributed two goals and David Demand (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) had the other 'Wick tally.
           
After the Hawks took an early lead on a Long goal from Jake Sachse (Lutherville, MD/Boys' Latin School of MD) 3:05 into the match, Oswego would answer with three goals in a 3:13 span to get the upper hand, 3-1.
           
The Hartwick defense would clamp down on the Lakers and hold them scoreless for the next two and a half quarters. On offense, Ferguson tallied off a Sachse feed to pull the Hawks within one with just under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter and the Lakers led by a count of 3-2 at halftime.
           
Long got the tying goal 10:49 into the third quarter to spark a three-goal 'Wick rally over the next 3:03. Demand scored with Brett Maguire (Adams Center, NY/South Jefferson) assisting with 2:23 left to put the Hawks in front and Long got his third tally off a pass from Cordell Armstrong (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area) 1:15 later to extend the margin to two, 5-3.
           
Oswego trimmed the gap to one 1:35 into the fourth and couldn't get the tying goal over the next seven and a half minutes. The Lakers fired four shots at the Hawks' cage in the span. Both of them that were on target, however, were saved by 'Wick keeper Connor O'Brien (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury).
           
Ferguson provided an insurance goal from Nick Couvaris (Seaford, NY/Seaford) with 5:44 remaining in the game but Oswego's Tim Schof made it a one-goal game with 3:01 still to play. Schof had one more chance with 1:29 showing on the clock but O'Brien made his ninth and final save of the contest and the Hawks would run out the remaining clock for the victory.
           
The Lakers held advantages in shots (30-28) and ground balls (36-26). They also won nine face-offs to the Hawks' six.
           
Eric Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon) tied for a game-high with six ground balls for the Hawks. He also caused a game-high two turnovers. David Bianculli (Charlton, MA/Shepard Hill Regional) contributed five ground balls. O'Brien and Garrison Wojtas (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) each added three.
           
Jarrod Wilkom led Oswego with two goals. Schof finished with a goal and an assist. Goalie Wyatt Russo matched O'Brien with nine saves.
           
Hartwick looks to make it 2-0 on Saturday when it visits MIT in Cambridge, MA. Game time is 1 p.m.