ROCHESTER, NY – The Hartwick women's soccer team's season came to a close on Thursday afternoon, as top-seeded Nazareth controlled the Empire 8 Semifinals matchup throughout. The Golden Flyers (9-6-3) cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Hawks (7-6-4), and will host the Empire 8 Championship game on Saturday.

Nazareth dominated the first half from the get-go, eventually outshooting the Hawks 8-3 over the opening 45 minutes. They did not come all that close to scoring over the opening 25 minutes, though, with the best chance in that timeframe coming off a Kristen Prohaska cross that Haley Glassman put wide.

The hosts' persistence paid off soon after, however, as they tallied twice in an eight-minute span. The first came in the 29^th minute off a second ball after a throw-in, as McKayla Hughes found it in the box and dished to Ashley Plane for the finish. Lauren Begy scored in the 35^th minute; Mia Longo played a short corner to Sarah Merriwether who in turn crossed one to the far post that Begy popped up and into the net with her head. Merriwether had a try not long after that required a Sara Staup (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) save to keep the deficit at two, where it would stay until the break.

The Hawks were able to get the ball forward with a lot more regularity to begin the second half, although Nazareth had a couple early chances to make the lead three. The game's pivotal moment came in the 52^nd minute, when the Hawks were awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box. Nicole Casab (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor) stepped to the penalty spot and drove one towards the left side of the net, but Nazareth goalkeeper Annika Monfort made a diving save and jumped on the ball before a rebound could be put home.

The Golden Flyers would put the game away in the 70^th minute, as Caleigh Cahoon's corner kick was headed home by Merriwether for her second goal involvement of the day. Nazareth nearly made it four in the 82^nd minute on a mini-breakaway, as Merriweather's initial shot was saved, a ball back in was headed off the crossbar by Plane, and finally Merriweather sailed one over the crossbar for a goal kick. The Hawks should have pulled one back a minute later, as Hannah Bochniak's (Barneveld, NY/Holland Patent) cross into the goal area eventually found its way to Julia Collado (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon), who seemed to have been tripped by Monfort before sending it wide of the empty net. It likely would have been too little, too late, however, as Nazareth was able to keep most of the possession for the remainder of the game.

Collado tied for the game high with five shots in the final game of her impressive collegiate career. Staup played all 90 minutes in net, setting a career high with 10 saves.

Nazareth held a big advantage in the shot department, at 23-8 overall and 13-6 in shots on goal. They also took eight corner kicks to 'Wick's zero.

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