ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick Hawks fought tooth and nail to the end, but fell just short, dropping a gritty 0-1 battle to the Nazareth Golden Flyers on True Blue weekend.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Nazareth 1 Hartwick 0

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Elmore Field

• Records: Nazareth (3-1-2, 1-0 Empire 8) Hartwick (1-5-1, 0-2 Empire 8)
   

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Golden Flyers put up a total of 6 corners tonight, 5 of which were in the second half. 'Wick would only manage 1.

• Nazareth would total 6 saves, while first-year Jelani Usim (Kingston, Jamaica) in goal for the Hawks would put a stop to 2 shots.

• Hunter Bulich (Catskill, N.Y.) was a bright spot for the Hawks tonight, making up 5 of Hartwick's 10 total shots, and 4 of 6 shots on goal. The Golden Flyers would have 3 shots on goal off 7 shot attempts.

• Tonight's loss for the Hawks will be their 7th loss to their conference foe, and 5th time being shut out by the Golden Flyers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawks entered the game strong and hungry for a conference win against long-time foe Nazareth; They kept ball possession for a majority of the first half and ran the Golden Flyers all around the field.

It would be Bulich for the Hawks to get the first shot on the board, a little over 4 minutes into the match, though the goalkeeper would capture it. Bulich posted three more shots on goal in the first half while the Hawks defense stifled a Golden Flyers penalty kick and utilized six free kicks off Nazareth fouls. Both Kwame Amissah-Arthur (Federal Way, Wash.) and Andres Ordonez Acosta (Estado de Mexico, Mexico) would join Bulich's assault on the Golden Flyers goal, though the first half would end with nothing on the board for either team.

However, The Golden Flyers would return to the second half with new life, pushing up the field for a goal in the 48th minute. Bulich answered back with another shot, but couldn't net a goal for the Hawks. Continuous back-and-forth fouls on both ends of the field kept possession ever-changing, until Nazareth sent a heater to the top left of the Hawks' goal where Jelani Usim was waiting to snag his first save of the night.

Despite another save from Usim to keep the Golden Flyers at bay and several more shot attempts from the Hawks – including a final shot from Mariano Kool (Amsterdam, Netherlands) with 2 seconds left on the clock– the Royal Blue and White would not be able to overcome Nazareth's 1-0 lead.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will hit the road for more conference action in Utica, New York, as they face off against the SUNY Poly Wildcats at 6 PM on Wednesday, September 24th.

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.