ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hartwick Men's Soccer Team opened up the 48th annual Mayor's Cup with a thrilling win over the Hobart College Statesmen.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hobart 0 Hartwick 1 

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y.

• Records: Hobart (0-1-1, 0-0 Liberty League), Hartwick (2-0-1, 0-0 Empire 8)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Hartwick was faced with light rain at the starting whistle as they looked to get an early edge over Hobart.

• Hobart opened the game with a good display of passing, posting a corner and a shot in the first two minutes.

• Pepe Moreno (San Luis Potosi, Mexico) made a perfectly executed slide tackle in the box, cutting off the Hobart attacker gearing up for a close shot, injecting his team with energy.

• The Statesmen continued to possess the ball and work their way down the pitch. A well placed shot from Hobart would be turned away by the outstretched glove of Dante Gesamondo (Lynnfield, Mass.) for the first shot on goal.

• Gesamondo was dialed in all day long, making several difficult saves that would've caused certain trouble for other keepers.

• The Hartwick back line continued to stand strong despite the constant pressure coming from Hobart,doing a great job clearing the ball on corners and disrupting crosses as the defense displayed great communication and teamwork.

• The opposition posted two more shots on goal that looked like they had a chance, but Gesamondo would be right there to clear the danger.

• Even though the box score did not display it, the Hawks played a solid physical first half against Hobart as they looked to get the offense clicking in the second half.

• Gesamondo continued to dazzle in goal, saving a rocket destined for the top right corner, picking up his second save in the early part of the half, keeping the game in a stalemate.

• The Hawks increased their intensity in the second half, regaining control of the midfield and began to dictate the pace of the game.

• Hartwick began slowly chipping away and figuring out the Hobart defense, making several pushes into their final third but could not find the final pass to create a chance.

• As the second half began to wither away, the teams battled, vying for possession and control of the game as the fouls began to pile up on both sides.

• Hobart worked their way into the box and looked to get a shot off but the attacker was smothered by Terriek Brown (Greene, N.Y.), causing a goal kick for the Hawks.

• Jace Riegel (Owego, N.Y.) had his defensive prowess on display as always, making several tackles and clearing the ball in tandem with the backline.

• With less than ten minutes remaining, the pressure continued to build as both teams seemed dissatisfied with ending in a draw.

• The Statesmen made a dangerous push off a counter attack, pushing into the box with numbers, sending a cross far post and finding a Statesmen who knocked it into the net with seven minutes left but Hobart was ruled offsides and the goal was taken back.

• A tough blow that seemed to disrupt the focus of Hobart as Hartwick began to impose their will by controlling the pace of the game.

• The Hawks slowly pushed the ball up the pitch with an array of passes, Kayden Zachgo (Warwick, N.Y.) was able to get into space with the time ticking down, using his speed and strength, Zachgo was able to knock the ball loose from the grasp of the Hobart keeper and spot a lurking Jake Daly (Baldwinsville, N.Y) who ripped it into the left side of the net, for the go ahead goal with seven seconds left on the clock.

• Hartwick would defeat Hobart in a thriller as they currently sit in first place of the Mayor's Cup tournament as Oneonta and St. Lawrence tied 1-1.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH JOHN SCOTT

"We knew we'd need to be at our defensive best as a team today, and we were. Dante was brilliant for us in goal, and not just because of a couple important saves, but because of his overall ability throughout the game. For us to then find the energy to break through and score the winning goal in the final seconds was a massive moment. Well done Jake Daly for a great finish!"
 

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will look to bring the Mayor's Cup Trophy back to Elmore Field with a matchup against St. Lawrence at 3:30 PM on Sunday, September 8th.
 

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.