ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hawks and the Red Dragons of SUNY Oneonta were deadlocked in a scoreless women's soccer game, marking the first tie of the 2025-2026 Battle of the Hills rivalry.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: SUNY Oneonta 0 Hartwick 0

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Red Dragon Field 

• Records: SUNY Oneonta (0-0-1, 0-0 SUNYAC) Hartwick (0-0-1, 0-0 Empire 8)
   

BY THE NUMBERS

• Both Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta would create opportunities to score in this game, though the Hawks would lead the way with 12 shots to Oneonta's 10.

• With the draw today, the two teams have now tied for four consecutive years.

• Mikayla Piersa would make her first collegiate start between the posts, tallying 3 saves.

• The Hawks still lead the race for the Battle of the Hills trophy, currently 1-0-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawks looked to come out of the gate hot, with Millie Caldon (Gilmanton, N.H.) taking a shot on goal only two minutes into the match, though a goalkeeper save from the Red Dragons would halt their offensive assault early.

The Red Dragons answered back soon with two shot attempts of their own, one of which had barely hit the crossbar. 

Both Caldon and Lily Dempsey (Glenville, N.Y.) would continue to push up the field and pressure the SUNY Oneonta defense. Oneonta would eventually trigger an offside call, creating more scoring opportunities for Caldon and newcomer Ella Grupe (Freehold, N.Y.), though neither could capitalize.

With less than two minutes in the first half, Oneonta made a desperate push up the field, but was shut out by sophomore goalkeeper Mikayla Piersa (Huntington, N.Y.).

Despite a yellow card on Hartwick and an Oneonta corner kick, the Red Dragons could not make it past the Hawks defense.

Senior Jenna Mierek (Prospect, Conn.) and junior Trinity Irizarry (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) were both recently named as Empire 8 Players to Watch, and lived up to the title as both posted shots on goal within nine seconds of each other, though both were saved by the Red Dragons goalkeeper. Mierek would go on to post 2 more shots.

A corner kick late in the game by Dempsey gave the Hawks a spark of hope to take a lead, but unfortunately, the timer would count down with both teams at a standstill to conclude the women's soccer Battle of the Hills face-off.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH BRIAN KNAPP

"This season, we are putting a huge emphasis on the strength we have as a united front. The way we fought for each other all over the field for 90 minutes was what impressed me the most. We created chances and had some great combinations that nearly got us ahead. We have areas we can fine-tune, but I'm very excited for what this group is capable of doing this fall."

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will host their home opener against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs on Tuesday, September 2nd at 6PM.

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.