ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hartwick Hawks returned from their bye week to defeat the visiting Bison from Nichols College 28-20 to cap off a jam-packed athletics calendar for True Blue Weekend.
 
THE BASICS
 

• Final Score:  Hartwick 28, Nichols 20
• Location:  Oneonta, N.Y.
• Records:  Hartwick (2-1), Nichols (3-1)

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
 

• Nichols won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
• The Hawks and the Bison traded uneventful possessions through the first seven minutes of play.
• Hartwick looked to swing the momentum their way and nearly did as Michael Lombardi (Wantagh, N.Y.) picked off the pass from Nichols' starting QB.
• Unfortunately, four plays later, Hartwick would give the ball back to the visitors with an interception.
• Nichols used that momentum to cap off a five-play drive with a 35-yard field goal.
• The Bison extended their lead after ending a second consecutive Hawks' drive with an interception.  This time Nichols found the back of the endzone.
• Hartwick took over with just over three minutes to go in the opening quarter.  The drive ended in a touchdown for Carlvin McDonald (Central Islip, N.Y.) who also contributed a 37-yard run earlier in the possession.
• The Bison responded on the next drive as backup quarterback Kyle Yanucci found Kevin Pinheiro for a 12-yard passing touchdown to give the visitors a 10-point lead once again.
• The two teams traded uneventful possessions until Hartwick took over with 6:38 remaining in the half.
• The Hawks' senior quarterback, Kyle Szokoli (Greenlawn, N.Y.) moved the offense to an air attack, distributing the ball to four different receivers, ending the drive with a 13-yard passing touchdown to Nate Rath (Newport, N.Y.) to bring the Hawks within three.
• The Hawks and Bison would go back to trading time with the ball as penalties derailed both teams.
• However, the Hartwick defense stepped up as Nelon Priest (Schenectady, N.Y.) picked off a pass deep in Nichols' territory to set up a short go-ahead drive for the home squad.
• McDonald would once again find the endzone with a five-yard rush with just over 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
• The Bison marched down the field with their ensuing possession and it looked as if they were destined for the endzone. 
• A Jeremy Gerdvil (East Northport, N.Y.) 11-yard sack on 2^nd and goal pushed the Bison far enough back that they were forced to kick the field goal.
• Up 21-20, Hartwick took control of the ball with 1:50 left on the clock in the 3^rd quarter. 
• The drive continued into the fourth quarter and ended in another McDonald touchdown and successful Nick Andrade (Shelton, Conn.) point-after attempt.  The drive also chewed up just over five minutes of clock time in the 4^th.
• Hartwick's defense would ultimately bring home the victory, forcing two turnovers on downs and a key interception by Jake Ely (Fulton, N.Y.) to solidify the 28-20 win.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
 
Hartwick will have their first road test of 2022 as they travel to Utica University to battle the Pioneers at 1 PM on Saturday, October 1.  The contest is the Empire 8 opener for both squads.
 
HARTWICK COLLEGE
 
One of the oldest colleges in the country, Hartwick has continually evolved for 225 years. The College's exciting new chapter is called FlightPath, a future-focused approach to education. Offering a distinctive blend of curricular, co-curricular and real-world work experiences, FlightPath builds on Hartwick's long history of integrating broad-based studies with experiential learning.
 
Hartwick College is a nationally ranked independent college of the arts and sciences located in picturesque Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The College offers 35 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, two master's degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education. For more information, visit www.Hartwick.edu.