ALBANY, NY – The Hartwick men's soccer team's tough stretch continued on Tuesday night as they were shutout for the fourth game in a row, this time by Russell Sage in a 1-0 loss. The result was an important one for both sides, as the Gators (8-5-2, 3-3-0 E8) have now solidified their standing in the top five of the Empire 8 table with nine points. The Hawks are now 6-6-2 overall and 1-4-1 in conference (4 points), and have a tough road to hoe in their search for a spot in the postseason.
Russell Sage struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute. Jackson Gilstrap (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) saved Vincent Terrone's initial shot from a tight angle out for a corner, and the Hawks put the ensuing kick out the other side of the goal for another corner. Mason Kievit sent a ball tightly along the end line that Jason Breznak found for a try that was blocked. Ian Maguire cleaned up the rebound, however, giving the Gators the advantage just over six minutes in, with the assist to Breznak.
Hartwick had a fairly dangerous chance to draw even in the 25th minute, off a corner kick. Jim Mahony received the ball by himself several yards off the top of the box and went for goal, but his one-hopped effort was pushed aside by Russell Sage keeper Nolan Murphy. The host side's Michael Considine made a bid for a 2-0 lead in the 36th minute, picking up the ball off a Hartwick turnover around the halfway line and driving down the left flank before drilling one wide to the right of the goal.
The Hawks came fairly close to a first half equalizer in the last few minutes off the rush, on a cross nearly parallel to the end line that Murphy plucked out of the air. A Jake Zona (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) shot in the final minute required a leaning save from Murphy, and at the break the score remained 1-0.
Things picked up in a big way to begin the second half. Matteo Sweet (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham Wading River) was inches away from leveling the score just seconds in when his effort struck the crossbar and bounced out. Gilstrap did his part to keep the deficit at one over the next few minutes with two massive, athletic stops. The action was brief in length, though, as after the opening 10 minutes, the teams had just one more shot through the ensuing 15.
Gilstrap kept his team in it again in the 77th minute, as he was just able to get a hand on a soft Kanon Tebo effort and deflect it out for a corner. The final touch of the game nearly ended up being the night's second goal, as Gilstrap pushed up to provide the Hartwick offensive effort some support. After a turnover, Jeaneste Pierre raced down a high arcing ball, and pushed one towards the open net that Tebo tapped in, but it was judged to have come after the horn.
Sweet and Zona were Hartwick's shot leaders on the evening, at three apiece. Jimmy Noel (Cap Haitian, Haiti/Baldwin) was the only other Hawk with multiple shots at two. Gilstrap impressed in his third career start, making four saves and impacting play in the goal area throughout.
The Gators had the lead in shots, 14-10, including a 7-2 advantage in the second half. Hartwick led 8-5 in corner kicks.
'Wick looks for a win this Saturday, October 23, when they play their final scheduled home game of the season against Nazareth at 3 p.m. Seniors Noel and Diego Espinola (Mexico City, Mexico/Vincent Memorial Catholic) will be briefly honored before kickoff.
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