AURORA, NY – The Hartwick women's soccer team put up a strong performance in their first game since 2019, taking care of business on the road to the tune of an 8-0 rout of host Wells. Gianna Cacciola (Wading River, NY/Shoreham Wading River) was the player of the game for the Hawks, putting up two goals on eight shots and two assists in her first collegiate contest.

The Hawks got the scoring started early (as you might expect in an eight-goal performance), when Cacciola assisted on a Hannah Bochniak (Barneveld, NY/Holland Patent) goal in the second minute. The lead doubled in the fifth minute thanks to another Cacciola assist, with Mia Capanna's (Los Angeles, CA/Palisades Charter) first collegiate goal the beneficiary.

It took until the 18^th minute for another score, this one off the freshman foot of Lexie Thompson (Schenectady, NY/Niskayuna) with the assist to Nicole Casab (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor). Just 33 seconds later, Aly Fish (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) popped the lead up to 4-0 with her first as a Hawk. Cacciola finally got in the goal column herself with the half's final tally in the 43^rd minute to make it 5-0.

Cacciola picked up where she left off on the other side of the break, scoring off a feed from Grace Byrne (Lynbrook, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) in the 47^th minute. Byrne would earn another helper in the 74^th minute, this time on Casey Shein's (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) first collegiate tally. Senior Julia Collado (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Huntedon) joined the party in the 85^th minute, slotting one home off Julia Bono's (West Milford, NJ/West Milford Township) pass.

Ten Hawks had multiple shots in the game, with Cacciola leading the way at eight and Byrne, Collado, and Madi McGuire (Goshen, NY/Goshen) not far behind at six each. Five of 'Wick's goals on the evening were the scorer's first as a Hawk (Capanna, Thompson, Fish, Cacciola, and Shein). Sara Staup (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) played all 90 minutes in net, earning her first career clean sheet.

The Hawks outmatched Wells all night, outshooting the Express at a 48 to 1 clip (including 27-0 on target). They also had a large advantage in corners, at 8-0.

'Wick returns to action this weekend as they host the Erinn K. Brozman Memorial Cup. Their first game of the tournament is on Saturday, September 4 at 4 p.m. vs. Nichols.

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