ONEONTA, NY – Despite a valiant effort, the Hartwick field hockey team could not quite come out on top in the Empire 8 Semifinals on Tuesday night, as the second-seeded Hawks were defeated 2-1 by the third-seeded Utica Pioneers on the Wright Stadium turf. With the win, the Pioneers (10-8) advance to the Empire 8 Championship against #1 St. John Fisher at 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 6. The Hawks finish their season at 11-5, their fifth consecutive full year with at least 11 wins.

The Pioneers had the better of play early on, but could not generate much in front of Hartwick cage. The very first Hartwick shot nearly broke the ice, as Ashley Tricarico (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) sent Emily Schaub's (Brewster, NY/Brewster) centering pass goalbound, but Utica's Lexi Scaccia cleared it off the line. The Pioneers had a flurry of activity around the 'Wick net later on in the first period, but the game would remain scoreless after one.

The second quarter had even less activity than the opening of the game, with just two shots in the period. One of those was a goal, however. The Pioneers' Sabrina Whitehouse broke through on a mini-breakaway in the 21^st minute, squeezing one through the legs of Madison Maddocks (Garrison, NY/Walter Panas) for the 1-0 lead. The score would remain there at the half.

The Hawks equalized shortly after the break, off the stick of Schaub. Lex Matarazzo (Commack, NY/Commack) sprinted down the right flank with the ball and put the moves on a Utica defender, eventually centering to Tricarico. Her shot was stopped via a great pad save from Megan Chamberlain, but Schaub was right there to knot the game at one in the 33^rd minute. Unfortunately for the hosts, it was mostly Utica after that, which included what wound up as the game-winner in the 38^th minute. A frantic flurry in front of the net saw Whitehouse's shot saved, and it seemed as if Madeline Krecidlo's follow-up effort was saved as well, either by Maddocks or a Hartwick defender. The referees conferred, and determined that the Hartwick defender stopped the ball with her body, awarding the Pioneers a penalty stroke. Whitehouse made no mistake, rocketing it into the lower left corner for the lead.

The Hawks had quite a few chances to tie in the fourth quarter, including one that looked like it had late on. Tricarico's effort from point-blank range in the 50^th minute was saved by Chamberlain, and some excellent chances off a corner in the 54^th minute were also turned aside by the Pioneer netminder. It seemed as if Julie Ruzzi (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) and Leah Tolley (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) had connected for a 58^th minute equalizer, as Ruzzi sent the ball back to Tolley off a corner for a rocket into the back of the cage. The goal was waved off, however, for what seemed to be a high shot. That was all she wrote for the Hawks, as the final buzzer sounded a couple minutes later to end their season.

Tricarico and Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) led the Hawks with three shots apiece, while Schaub and Ruzzi had their other tries at net. Maddocks played all 60 minutes in the cage, making five saves.

Utica had the lead in the shot department, outchancing the Hawks 13-8 (8-7 shots on goal). The Hawks had a slight advance in penalty corners, at 7-5.

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