ONEONTA, NY – The Hartwick men's soccer team dropped their final home game of the season on Saturday, putting up a spirited effort against Empire 8-leading Nazareth before falling, 2-1. The win bumps the Golden Flyers to 11-1-2 overall and 6-0-1 in the conference, putting them in pole position for the top seed in the Empire 8 Tournament. The loss drops Hartwick to 6-7-2 on the year and 1-5-1 in conference play, and also eliminates them from playoff contention.

Seniors Diego Espinola (Mexico City, Mexico/Vincent Memorial Catholic) and Jimmy Noel (Cap Haitian, Haiti/Baldwin) were honored before the game with a round of applause after starting lineups were announced.

Nazareth nearly started the day off with a bang, as Zakary Smith rang one off the crossbar in the third minute. The ball bounced down and nearly in off goalkeeper Jackson Gilstrap (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic), but trickled out for a corner kick. Hartwick's Matteo Sweet (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham Wading River) also hit the goal frame in the 21^st minute, putting one off the post after an excellent Noel run set up the Hawks' chance.

The Golden Flyers picked up the game's first goal in the 24^th minute. Jake Pawlika took the corner and sent an excellent ball into the box, where it eluded a couple heads and bodies before deflecting off of Drew Decker's leg and into the net. Ansh Budhwar (Delhi, India/Akash International School) tried for the equalizer in the 44^th minute as he caught the Nazareth goalkeeper off his line, but his effort from distance went high.

The action came fast and furious in the second half, starting with a Nazareth cross in the first minute that Sam Smyth would have been able to tap in had he not missed it. Noel was the instigator for a pair of chances in the 65^th and 66^th minutes; the former was a free kick from about 25 yards out that went high, while the latter was a corner kick that an unmarked Nik Heasley (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls) got solid contact on but put wide.

The 69^th minute brought what should have been a penalty kick for the Hawks, as Sweet was fouled near the edge of the box. The referee misidentified the location of the foul, though, giving the Hawks a free kick just outside the left side of the box. Noel played it out to Jim Mahony (Bournemouth, England/Bournemouth Catholic), whose effort from range was blocked inside the box.

Five minutes later, Joey Bertone (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) did some foreshadowing, putting a shot towards that net that required a leaping and diving Logan Menna save out for a corner. Nazareth scored somewhat controversially a few minutes later in the 79^th minute, as what was potentially a foul went uncalled before Decker slid one across the box to Pawlika for the tap in.

Bertone gave the Hawks a boost in the 85^th minute, as after a Noel cross was cleared to him he scorched one past Menna and into the net, placing the Hartwick deficit back at one. Time was not on the home team's side, however, as despite some excellent pressure over the final five minutes, the Hawks could not find an equalizer.

Noel led all players with three shots, while Sweet and Bertone had two tries apiece. Gilstrap played all 90 minutes in net, making a pair of saves.

'Wick wraps up their season next Friday, traveling to Utica for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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.