WASHINGTON, PA – For the second straight time this season, little separated the Hartwick and Washington & Jefferson field hockey teams. Today, it was an own goal 1:09 into the first overtime period that was the difference as the top-seeded Presidents topped the Hawks 1-0 in the Empire 8 semifinals on Friday afternoon at Cameron Stadium. As a result, the Hawks' season comes to a close with a final record of 12-6.
           
Hartwick came out as the aggressor, pinning the Presidents in their end for much of the half. The Hawks would out-shoot the Presidents by an 11-4 margin in the opening 35 minutes. Perry Willett (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) fired seven of 'Wick's shots, with five of them making it on target. Katie Meuse (Londonderry, NH/Londonderry) would come close to giving the Hawks the lead with 12 minutes left. Her slow roller got past Rena Israel, however, the ball struck the Presidents' left post and stayed out. Israel would register seven saves in the opening frame.
           
W&J came out firing in the second half as they recorded three shots and two corners in the opening seven minutes. The half would be more balanced than the first though with both teams registering six shots. The Presidents would earn eight corners in the half but they never were able to convert on one.
           
The two teams dropped to seven players to start the first 10-minute sudden-victory overtime. Alana Boyd generated the first opportunity as she got the ball along the end line. Her centering pass took a deflection of a Hartwick defender's stick and the ball redirected into the Hawks' goal for the clincher.
           
The Hawks would finished the match with a 17-10 advantage in shots. The Presidents earned more penalty corners, 10-5. Willett had 13 of Hartwick's 17 shots. Eight of them were on cage. Maria Stalder (New Woodstock, NY/Cazenovia) had two shots in her final Hartwick match. Brooke Singer (Johnson City, NY/Maine Endwell) and Meuse each had one.
           
Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco) made one save in the Hawks' cage. Israel finished with 10 stops for the Presidents, who advance to Saturday's championship against either St. John Fisher or Stevens.