ONEONTA, NY – It was Katie Weaver (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) in the 80th minute with the winner in the sixth 1-0 win of the season for the Hartwick women's soccer team, who took down rival SUNY Oneonta under the lights Tuesday night on Elmore Field. The win lifts the Hawks, who are #10 in the East Region according to the United Soccer Coaches poll, to 9-3-1, tied for the program's best record through 13 games since 1983. The Red Dragons drop back to .500 on the year, at 5-5-3.
Gabrielle Kreppein (Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) had the first early chance for the Hawks, sending one high off a Dana Caputo (Commack, NY/Commack) corner. Nicole Chisdak (Vestal, NY/Vestal) had a solid opportunity herself in the 28th minute after Tanner Reed (Unadilla, NY/Unatego Central) passed it back to her, but shot it wide from outside the penalty area.
'Wick may have run into some bad luck shortly after, as it seemed like Julia Collado (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon) was tripped in the 18-yard box for a penalty kick, but the referee stayed silent. Kreppein had the best chance of the half in the 30th minute. Caputo sent a long free kick towards the box that bounced around a bit and eventually ended up a few yards outside the penalty area and on Kreppein's feet. The junior forward drove one that was destined for the back of the net, but Oneonta keeper Claire Lepper just got a piece of it to tap it over the crossbar and out for a corner. Although they led just 7-5 in shots, the Hawks certainly had higher quality chances in the scoreless first half.
The Red Dragons tried to reverse that early on in the second half when Christina Kornfeld crossed one hard into the box about three minutes in. Cassandra Robataille (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) cut it off, however, before the ball could roll into danger. 'Wick almost took advantage of a Lepper blunder in the 56th minute. Reed took a shot wide that Lepper caught and then dropped, just covering up again before Katie Ziniti (Chester, NH/Pinkerton Academy) could poke it in. A mere 33 seconds later, Oneonta nearly struck first on another Kornfeld cross. Sienna Nicolich shot it hard from inside the box, but Robataille stopped the ball in its tracks.
Kornfeld tried again in the 67th minute, coming very close to breaking the ice. She popped one up that looked like it might be out of reach of Robataille, but the keeper pur her arm up and just knocked it into the crossbar to keep it out of the net, grabbing the ball soon after to keep it out of harm's way. Ziniti had the next Hartwick opportunity in minute 73; she lasered one from about five yards outside the penalty area, missing wide by a few feet.
Weaver got the first of her career in the 80th minute, with a lot of help from a Lepper gaffe. After a Hawk ball into the box was sent back out by an Oneonta back, Weaver gathered, regrouped, and struck one from the left side of the penalty area towards the right side of the goal. It seemed as if Lepper had it, but it slipped through her arms and into the net for the first goal of the night. The Red Dragons had one more great opportunity to tie it, coming on the game's very next shot, from Nicolich in the 82nd minute. Robataille put the exclamation point on her eighth shutout of the year with a diving save to her right to end the threat.
Kreppein led all players with five shots (four on target), her second consecutive game with at least that many attempts. Reed had three shots, and Chisdak had a pair. Robataille made five saves for the clean sheet, with help from a strong back line that included Weaver, Caputo, Courtney Velho (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy), Isabella Toro (Monroe, NY/Monroe Woodbury), Gina Fahrenholz (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains Fanwood), and Arianna Alvarez (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches).
Nicolich led her side with three shots, two on target; Robin Confer also had three shots, with one going on net. Kornfeld ended up with two shots on a host of dangerous crosses. Lepper made eight saves on nine chances, although her gaffe on the goal was the difference.
Hartwick had the advantage in shots, with 17 to Oneonta's 11, as well as a 9-5 lead in shots on goal. They also had a slim lead in corners, at 5-4.
The Hawks are off until this Saturday, October 19, when they return to Elmore Field for a big game against Empire 8 foe Nazareth at 3 p.m. Both teams are 3-0-1 in conference play, making the game's result possibly crucial in determining the regular season champion.
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