Final Score: Hartwick 1, RPI 0
 
Venue: Oneonta, NY – Wright Stadium
 
Records: Hartwick (1-0); RPI (0-1)
 
Recap: Freshman Perry Willett (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) scored the game's only goal 6:01 into the game as 'Wick topped RPI for the third straight time on Friday. Willett smacked a backhand just past the out-stretched pad of RPI keeper Rachel Kaufman and into the far corner for the lone tally. RPI had a 4-3 edge in corners and fired four shots at the Hartwick goal in the second half but the Hawks withstood the charge. Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco) earned the shutout with three stops. Kaufman made six saves for the Engineers. Allyson Quirk (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) nearly extended the advantage with under 10 ticks left in the game but her blast rang off the far post.
 
Game Notes: The Hawks and Engineers were opening their season against one another for the fourth straight year. RPI won the 2015 meeting 3-1 but Hartwick has now taken the last three, all by a single goal. The Hawks improve to 18-14 against the Engineers in 32 meetings since 1977. The victory is the first in the head coaching career of Erin Autera.
 
Up Next: Hartwick travels across the street to battle city rival SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday, September 5. Game time is 5 p.m. RPI hosts Mount Holyoke Sunday, September 2 at 6 p.m.