ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick took care of business on Wednesday defeating visiting Utica 13-10 to nail down a spot in the Empire 8 semifinals on May 3. The Hawks will be making their first appearance in 12 years.
           
The Hawks, who responded from an early 4-2 deficit to score eight of the game's next 10 goals, improve to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the Empire 8. They also are now guaranteed the program's first winning record since 2011. Utica falls to 9-6 and 3-4.
           
UC scored three of the first four goals of the game to build a 3-1 advantage near the midway point of the opening quarter and they made it 4-2 with 4:14 remaining. The Hawks, however, would get three straight tallies in a 1:33 span to take the lead for good with just under 90 seconds to go, 5-4. Cordell Armstrong (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area), Brett Maguire (Adams Center, NY/South Jefferson), Conner Long (Hardwick, NJ/Blair Academy), James Vogt (Stratham, NH/Exeter), and Sam Ferguson (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) each found the net for 'Wick in the period.
           
Hartwick controlled the second period, out-scoring the Pioneers by a 5-2 margin. Wyatt Long (Hardwick, NJ/Blair Academy), Ferguson, and Armstrong scored goals in the first eight minutes before Utica made it an 8-6 game with 1:01 left in the half. A pair of man-up tallies from Maguire and Jake Sachse (Lutherville, MD/Boys' Latin School of MD) at :36 and :01, respectively, handed the Hawks a 10-6 edge at the break instead.
           
Each time Utica inched back in the third quarter with a goal, Hartwick had the answer. The Pioneers made it 10-7 at 10:09 but Maguire found the net for his third of the day 1:35 later. Dominic Castiligia then scored his second of four goals later in the quarter before David Demand (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) kept it a four-goal game with under three minutes to go.
           
Castiliglia scored a pair of goals with less than six minutes elapsed in the final quarter, and the Pioneers were within two, 12-10. Utica would only manage three more shots the rest of the way. 'Wick goalie C.J. Alesandrini (Schenectady, NY/Colonie) stopped two of them with the other sailing off target to help keep the visitors out. Demand closed out the scoring with 5:03 left to play to close out the victory.
           
Hartwick finished the game out-shooting Utica 43-36. The Pioneers had a slim edge over the final three periods, 28-27. Utica grabbed 35 ground balls to the Hawks' 34. 'Wick won 15 face-offs to UC's 11.
           
Maguire was the Hawks' top scorer with three goals to pace a balanced Hartwick attack in which nine players registered a least a point. Maguire would also contribute one assist. Ferguson equaled his teammate in points with two goals and two assists. Demand had two goals and one helper, and Armstrong had a pair of goals. Sachse and Conner Long chipped in with a goal and an assist each.
           
Alesandrini got his second victory in cage with an 11-save effort. Demand, Vogt, and Derek Chandler (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) tied for a team-high four ground balls. Matthew Puzo (Apalachin, NY/Vestal) and Garrison Wojtas (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) each had three. Wojtas and Geoff Baptiste (North Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) each caused two turnovers.
           
Jake Bratek led all players with six points on four goals and two assists for the Pioneers. Castiglia finished with four tallies. UC goalie Parker Smith made 13 stops and grabbed a game-high eight ground balls.
           
Hartwick travels to its regular season finale against #12 Ithaca Saturday at 3 p.m. Stevens is the top seed in the upcoming league playoffs. Ithaca, Nazareth, and Hartwick's seeds will be determined after Saturday's matches.