ONEONTA, NY – Despite Tyler Muir's (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) first career goal in the 87th minute knotting the game at one, the Hartwick men's soccer team could not pull out the victory on Tuesday evening at Elmore Field, dropping their final home game of the season to SUNY Geneseo, 2-1 (OT). The loss drops the Hawks' overtime record on the year to 0-4-0 and their overall record to 3-12. The Knights move to 7-9-2 for the season.
The teams traded a chance each early, but Geneseo really began to put the pressure on in the 7th minute. They earned a pair of consecutive corners, both of which looked dicey for the Hawks before they cleared the ball out of danger. The Knights came even closer in the 15th minute. Off a corner, Ben Licht redirected the ball from a few yards out at the goal, but keeper Britt Reisman (Vero Beach, FL/Saint Edward's School) showed off his quick reflexes and knocked the ball out of play. Reisman made a couple more spectacular saves during the first half. In the 23rd minute, he made a gorgeous diving stop on a shot from Liam Mulderig, and in the 30th minute he somehow kept a shot off a corner out of the net with his foot. The Hawks had a nice chance later on the period, when Troy Amegashie (Accra, Ghana/Tema International School) played a beautiful ball for Jake Zona (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), but Zona's shot was blocked out for a corner. At the half, the teams remained tied at zero.
Caleb Murthy's header in the first minute of the second half was blocked, but the Knights broke the ice on their very next shot. Marco LaRocca's pass in from the left side of the penalty area was blocked, but Owen Frank collected the ball and put it home from a sharp angle at 55:05. Geneseo kept up the pressure, looking for the insurance goal. Jack Todora just missed the top-left corner with under 12 minutes to play, Reisman made another nice save on a close-range shot in the 82nd minute, and in the next minute Reisman charged out to close off a Mulderig chance.
Just as it looked as if the Hawks would go down without another significant chance, they converted to tie the game in the 87th minute. Towards the right side of the 18-yard box, Muir hit a cross off his heel into a defender (possibly for an uncalled handball), then found the ball, drove towards the net, and sent it past the keeper to the left side of the net at 86:28. The Knights had a late corner in the final minute of regulation, but Quinlin Cronin's header went wide.
Overtime was mostly quiet, with a couple chances for the Knights in the early going but nothing very dangerous. That all changed in the 99th minute, when a foul not too far outside the box set up a free kick for Geneseo. Their initial opportunity was cleared out, but they sent it back in. Frank's shot from close range was saved by Reisman, but it rebounded right to James Perrone on the right side of the net, who sent it in at 99:30 for the 2-1 win.
Amegashie and Joey Bertone (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) led the Hawks with two shots apiece. Hector Ferreira (East Williston, NY/The Wheatley School), Zona, and Muir had the other shots, including Muir's first collegiate goal to tie the game late in regulation. Reisman was strong in net overall, making eight saves on ten chances to tie his career high.
Frank was the MVP for the Knights, tying with teammate Wade Thompson for the game-high of four shots, scoring the first goal and assisting on the winner. Mulderig had three of his own chances, and LaRocca, Murthy, and Eren Aydin had two shots apiece. Liam Dole started the game in net, and was unchallenged during the first half. Will Price came in at the beginning of the second half and played through the end of the game, making one save on two chances for the win.
Geneseo controlled play throughout, and it showed in the shot count. They led 22-7 overall and 10-2 in shots on goal. They also had a big advantage in corner kicks, at 13-3.
Hartwick rounds out their season this coming Saturday, November 2, when they travel to Utica for a 1 p.m. game with the Pioneers.
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