ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick men's lacrosse team squared off against cross-town rival SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday afternoon, falling to the Red Dragons 15-12 in a heated Battle of the Hills non-conference clash at Red Dragon Field.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Hartwick 12 Oneonta 15
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Red Dragon Field
Records: Hartwick (0-4, 0-0 Empire 8) • Oneonta (3-3, 0-0 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Hartwick entered the 33rd meeting in the historic rivalry holding a 19-13 all-time edge and looked to add another victory on Red Dragon Field.

Playing through heavy rain in the first half, both offenses started cautiously while battling for possession. Oneonta opened the scoring with a man-up goal at the 10:25 mark and added another less than a minute later, with Thomas Hnis responsible for both tallies.

The Hawks responded midway through the first quarter after Ty Crowley (Wallkill, N.Y.) forced a turnover and cleared the ball to ignite the offense. Colby Simonetti (Pittsford, N.Y.) got Hartwick on the board, finishing a feed from Mason Adams (Delmar, N.Y.). Just over a minute later, Liam McManus (Skillman, N.J.) found the back of the net off an assist from Spencer Hogaboom (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) to give the Hawks a brief lead.

Oneonta quickly answered to regain the advantage, but senior Colin August (Garrison, N.Y.) tied the game with a strike off a pass from Matthew Paquette (Newton, Mass.). The Red Dragons reclaimed the lead moments later with a quick goal following a faceoff win to close out the opening quarter.

Oneonta carried that momentum into the second, scoring four unanswered goals before Hartwick could respond. August recorded his second goal of the day midway through the quarter off another Adams assist, marking the 100th goal of his collegiate career. The Red Dragons added two more tallies late in the half to take a 10-4 lead into the break.

The Hawks stormed back in the third quarter once the rain subsided, erupting for five goals in the first ten minutes while holding Oneonta scoreless to cut the deficit to just one. Simonetti started the run at 12:38 with Adams collecting his third assist of the afternoon. Harry Rubin (Portland, Me.) followed with a transition goal at 9:23, using his speed to cut through the midfield. McManus netted his second of the day off a feed from August before Paquette finished a pass from McManus at 7:23. August capped the run with his third hat trick in four games, scoring off another assist from Hogaboom.

Oneonta weathered the surge, however, scoring twice in the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 12-9 lead into the fourth.

The final frame featured a physical back-and-forth battle as both teams pushed for the rivalry victory. Paquette opened the quarter with a man-up goal to bring Hartwick closer. After a quiet stretch, Oneonta extended its lead back to three. The Hawks answered behind August, who rifled home two goals, his fourth and fifth of the game, off assists from Paquette and Hogaboom to trim the deficit to one.

Despite the late pressure, the Red Dragons closed the game with two goals in the final five minutes to secure the 15-12 win.

Hartwick showed resilience throughout the contest, nearly completing a dramatic comeback. August led the Hawks with five goals, while Paquette, McManus, and Simonetti each scored twice. Hogaboom and Adams each recorded three assists, with Paquette adding two while McManus and August were credited with one.

Crowley and Henry Tobin (Merrimack, NH) led the team with four ground balls apiece. First-year goalkeeper AJ Saragossi (Levittown, NY) made an impressive collegiate debut, finishing with 15 saves against a potent Oneonta attack.

With his five-goal performance, August moved into ninth place on Hartwick's all-time scoring list with 103 career goals, pouring in 17 goals over his last three contests.


UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will head north, facing off against the Bears of SUNY Potsdam for a 1PM faceoff on Saturday, March 14th at 1PM.

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.