ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick Men's Lacrosse team returned to Wright Stadium to open up their Empire 8 conference slate, being edged out by SUNY Geneseo at home on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: SUNY Geneseo 12 Hartwick 5

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y.

• Records: SUNY Geneseo (3-4, 1-0 Empire 8) Hartwick (2-4, 0-1 Empire 8) 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Hartwick prepared to open their Empire 8 conference slate, recently closing out their non-conference schedule with a dominant victory over the Canton Roos.

• The Hawks geared up to face off against new conference foe, SUNY Geneseo, coming off back to back SUNYAC Championships before making their way into the Empire 8 this year.

• Geneseo won the opening faceoff, starting the first matchup between the two programs since 1992 as the Knights looked to strike first.

• Both squads generated an early shot attempt from their dangerous attackmen but the keepers stood tall as the offenses got churning.

• The Knight's leading scorer, Jimmy Atkinson collected the first goal of the game after being denied by Kaiden Johnson (Wakefield, Mass.) on his first attempt, connecting on the diving score from the right side.

• Hartwick struggled to take control of the contest in the first quarter as Geneseo struck for three more before Colin August (Garrison, N.Y.) put the Knight run to a halt. Spencer Hogaboom (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) made some moves behind the net, causing the Knights to collapse onto him, freeing a lane for the cutting August to bring it home.

• Coach LaSala's squad came out with high intensity to begin the second, August caused a turnover after the Knights won the draw, giving the Hawks an opportunity to connect again but Matthew LoCasto (Floral Park, N.Y.) missed just high in the early goings.

• The Hawks posted a barrage of shots over the course of the second quarter but were unable to sneak one past the Knight keeper, Geneseo converted successfully on the clear and got the offense set up, finding their fifth goal with seven minutes left.

• A Geneseo penalty for holding put the Royal Blue and White in prime position to respond with a goal of their own. Garrett Frost (Wading River, N.Y.) took advantage of the man-up situation, firing a missile past the keeper's stick as Tararihwakohe Lazore (Hogansburg, N.Y.) was credited with the assist.

• Heading into the third quarter, August found the back of the net to cut the Knight lead to three as the Hawks looked to claw their way back into the contest with 26 minutes left of gametime.

• The two teams upped the physicality in the second half as they battled for possession with the defenses making everything hard to come by as the Hawks were held scoreless for the rest of the quarter. Geneseo struck for two goals in the quarter, starting with their first at the nine minute mark and closing with another at four minutes.

• Colby Simonetti (Pittsford, N.Y.) opened the fourth with a quick strike, connecting from the right wing with a high bounce in the opening minute as the team trailed by four.

• Geneseo posted two goals in a minute, taking their biggest lead of six with ten minutes to go.

• Frost danced his way to open space behind the net and threaded the needle with a precise pass in traffic to a cutting August who took the ball in stride and drilled a behind the back shot with Knights draped all over him to secure the hat-trick and get some momentum on their side.

• The Knights were able to take and maintain possession over the final eight minutes, connecting for two more to put the game out of reach for Hartwick in their conference opener.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will head to SUNY Brockport for their first Empire 8 conference road tilt, matching up with the Golden Eagles, set for a 2PM faceoff on Saturday, March 29th.

About Hartwick College:

Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.