HOUGHTON, NY – Emma Knapp (Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman) had a career-high ten goals in Saturday's unexpected road game at Houghton, including eight in the first half alone, outscoring the opponent herself in a 21-7 win for the Hartwick women's lacrosse team. The game was the Empire 8 Conference opener for both squads. The Hawks return to .500 overall with their second win in a row, at 3-3 (1-0 E8), while the Highlanders drop to 1-5 (0-1 E8).
Houghton, a sudden host after late-week snow forced a venue change from Hartwick, scored the day's first goal, converting just 41 seconds in on a Cori Beck shot. The Hawks were determined to make that the only lead the Highlanders had all day, scoring the next four goals in under two-and-a-half minutes. Knapp tied it up 2:18 in off a feed from Amy Tracy (Smithtown, NY/Florida Southern College), and later followed up a Jennifer Darasz (Gorham, ME/Gorham) free-position goal with another off the draw to make it 3-1. GinaMarie Wilson (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) made the margin three at 25:15, although Houghton's Kayleigh Kneitinger cut it back to two 20 seconds later via a pass from Beck.
It turned into the Knapp and Wilson show for the next fifteen minutes, as the pair combined for six goals (four by Knapp and two by Wilson) to give Hartwick a commanding 10-2 advantage with 10:49 left in the first half. The Highlanders scored twice more over the final ten minutes, but a goal from Cassie Durkin (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville Dewitt), assisted by Hailey Pooler (Adams Center, NY/South Jefferson), and two more from Knapp, assisted by Tracy and then Pooler, gave 'Wick a 13-4 lead at the break.
The first 14-plus minutes of the final thirty minutes were more evenly-matched. Beck scored a woman-up goal 1:03 in, but Tracy netted one while up a woman off of an Emily Schaub (Brewster, NY/Brewster) pass 4:37 later. The two teams continued to alternate goals for a bit, as Kayla Tracey (Bardonia, NY/Clarkstown South) tallied her first of the year and Darasz got her second of the game, both coming after Houghton goals. Hartwick shut out the Highlanders over the final 15 minutes of the game, scoring five goals themselves. Tracey tallied another, Darasz completed her hat trick while down a woman, and Wilson scored her fourth of the day. Knapp finished it off with two goals in the final 5:25, bringing the score to where it wound up at the final buzzer, 21-7.
Knapp scored her ten goals on 14 shots, also contributing with three ground balls and three draw controls. Wilson also had a big day, piling up seven points on four goals and three assists and tacking on four ground balls and a team-high five draw controls. Tracy had six points principally via a career-high five assists as well as a goal, also picking up four ground balls and causing a turnover. Darasz had a hat trick on just three shots and scooped three ground balls. In addition to her first goal of the season, Tracey tied with Emma Kaplan (Danbury, CT/Danbury) and Katie Weaver (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) for the game high of five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Rachel Hedden (Burlington, CT/Central Conn. State) had two assists, three draw controls, one ground ball, and one caused turnover.
Hartwick had the advantage in every statistical category aside from draw controls on Saturday, which Houghton led, 18-12. The Hawks had a robust 40-17 lead in shots, and turned it over 15 times to the Highlanders' 29. They were a perfect 24-of-24 on clears, while the hosts were just 14-of-22, and had a 37-24 lead in ground balls picked up.
Beck stood out for Houghton, tallying four goals on seven shots and two assists, as well as five draw controls, three ground balls, and a caused turnover. Reegan Mitchell had a goal, a team-high three caused turnovers, and a tie for the team high with five ground balls. Meagan Barry also had a goal on two shots, a ground ball, and six draw controls.
Wells College is up next for Hartwick, as they make up their game that was snowed out on March 6. The Hawks and Express meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 25, in Aurora, NY.
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