HOUGHTON, NY – Another game, another Tanner Reed (Unadilla, NY/Unatego Central) game-winner. The junior forward scored her fourth game-winner of the season in the 57th minute, including in the last three 'Wick wins, as the Hartwick women's soccer team defeated Houghton on the road on Saturday, 1-0, for their first Empire 8 win of the season. The victory pushed the Hawks, who are on a four-game unbeaten streak, to 6-2-1 (1-0-1 E8), while Houghton drops to 4-5-1 (0-2-0 E8)
Hartwick dominated the shot sheet all afternoon, and they started right from the get-go, as Samantha Ford (Acton, MA/Acton Boxborough Regional) sent one high 43 seconds in. The Hawks had three more shots in the first eight minutes, including another one from Ford that required a save by Houghton keeper Megan Merrifield. Shots from Reed, Nicole Chisdak (Vestal, NY/Vestal), and Maggie Rogers (Wharton, NJ/Morris Hills) all went wide in the middle portion of the half, though subsequent Rogers and Reed attempts needed saving in the 27th and 29th minutes, respectively. The Hawks had two more attempts and a corner in the period's final ten minutes, but could not convert, leading to an empty score at the half.
After two more shots and two more corners to start the half (as well as Houghton's first try of the game, wide right in the 51st minute), Hartwick finally broke through. Ford stole the ball from a Highlander about 30 yards out and put through a short pass to Reed. Reed went right, pivoted left, and struck one left-footed from just outside the top of the penalty arc to the top-right corner of the net for a highlight-reel goal and a 1-0 lead at 56:24. The Hawks, led by a stout back line that included Dana Caputo (Commack, NY/Commack), Courtney Velho (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy), Katie Weaver (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker), and Isabella Toro (Monroe, NY/Monroe Woodbury), allowed just one shot for the duration of the game, a try in the 87th minute stopped by Cassandra Robataille (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam).
Reed led all players in shots for the second-straight game, shooting five times and putting four on target, including her tally. Gabrielle Kreppein (Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) had three shots, as did Rogers. Robataille was called upon for just one save during her fifth clean sheet of the season and 22nd of her Hartwick career.
Moriah Steffen and Danielle Sloan had the two Houghton shots; it was Sloan's that needed saving in the final minutes of the game. Merrifield was solid throughout, allowing just the one goal and making seven saves over 90 minutes.
Hartwick had a massive 19-2 shot advantage (8-1 on net), including a 13-0 lead in the first half. They also did not concede a single corner, leading 6-0 in that category.
The Hawks are back at it in a week for another Empire 8 road matchup, as they look for revenge against a Utica squad that ended their season in the Empire 8 semifinals last year. The game kicks off at 12 p.m. in Utica's Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
Make sure to catch the latest news on all your favorite Hartwick Hawks teams by following @HawkTalk on Twitter, @hartwickhawks on Instagram, and by liking 'Hartwick Hawks' on Facebook.
