ONEONTA, N.Y. - The men's soccer team went up against tough opponent SUNY Brockport, scoring early and holding off the Golden Eagles at one to secure a conference draw.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Brockport 1 Hartwick 1

• Location: Brockport, N.Y. | Dr. Linda Arena Field

• Records: Brockport (2-4-2, 1-1-1 Empire 8) Hartwick (2-5-2, 1-2-1 Empire 8)
   

BY THE NUMBERS

• As the lone goal scorer for the Hawks, first-year rookie Mariano Kool (Amsterdam, Netherlands) tallies his 1st collegiate goal on his stat sheet.

• The Golden Eagles outshot the Hawks 28-5 with each team netting a goal, but the Hawks proved that quality can be greater than quantity as they led in shot accuracy.

• Jelani Usim (Kingston, Jamaica) had a great night in goal, earning a career-high of 11 saves. The Brockport keeper in comparison would make 2.

• It was an intensely physical match up between the conference foes, reflected by a shared total of 8 yellow cards amongst both teams.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawks got off the bus in Brockport hungry for another conference win, having just come off a victory over the SUNY Poly Wildcats three days prior. After an initial wide shot attempt by Devin Chandler (Wylie Tex.), he combined with Kool to get the Hawks on the board after only the fourth minute. Kool would snag his first goal at the collegiate level, and this major milestone sparked the Hawks to continue their crusade.

Despite being peppered with shots from the Golden Eagles, Usim and his defensive unit were a brick wall, shutting out any efforts by Brockport to knot the game. Both Nick Nowak (Shoreham, N.Y.) and Hunter Bulich (Catskill, N.Y.) would try for goals of their own, but would be halted. Despite this, the Hawks would keep the Golden Eagles at bay and Usim would add another shutout half to his statistics.

Going into the second half, Brockport refused to slow down, but the Hartwick defense was a force to be reckoned with. After a Brockport offsides call gave the Hawks the advantage to carry the ball up the field, Kool attempted to strike again in the 57th minute and continue his stellar day, but was stopped in his tracks by the keeper. The Hawks would not be able to get another shot off for the remainder of the game, instead dedicating much needed effort to holding off the Golden Eagles.

With less than five minutes on the board, Brockport was able to snag a goal and effectively run the clock down, locking the game at 1-1 to set this conference match as a draw.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH JOHN SCOTT

"We defended for lengthy spells throughout both halves today, and against a severe height disadvantage. Well done to the team today for grinding out this away result. It took everything we had."

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will return home and continue conference play in a match against the Keuka College Wolves on Saturday, October 4th at 2:30 PM.

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.