ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hartwick Men's Lacrosse team gained momentum, downing the Alfred Saxons in a back-and-forth conference clash on Senior Day Saturday at Wright Stadium.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Alfred 14 Hartwick 18
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Wright Stadium
Records: Alfred (7-5, 3-2 Empire 8) • Hartwick (2-9, 2-3 Empire 8)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Before the opening faceoff, the Hartwick Men's Lacrosse program recognized its seven seniors: Ryan Nevins (Warwick, N.Y.), Ty Crowley (Wallkill, N.Y.), Colby Simonetti (Pittsford, N.Y.), Colin August (Garrison, N.Y.), Liam McManus (Skillman, N.J.), Christian Szokoli (Greenlawn, N.Y.), and Jacob Claus (Pittsford, N.Y.).

Hartwick stumbled out of the gates as the Saxons struck for two quick goals, controlling the opening four minutes. A slashing call against Alfred put the Hawks in position to respond, as McManus set up Spencer Hogaboom (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) for the opening tally. Alfred regained its two-goal lead before August fired in his first goal of the day, assisted by Mason Adams (Delmar, N.Y.) at the 8:33 mark. August connected again moments later, picking up a rebound and firing a behind-the-back shot past the Alfred keeper to tie the contest with six minutes remaining. Alfred responded just 34 seconds later, but Simonetti closed the first-quarter scoring with an overhead rocket at the 1:50 mark, capping a jam-packed opening frame.

Harry Rubin (Portland, Me.) opened the second quarter with a coast-to-coast effort after a stop from Kaiden Johnson (Wakefield, Mass.) jumpstarted the run. The defenses settled in after the first-quarter fireworks, with the next score coming in favor of the Hawks as Troy Madden (Williston Park, N.Y.) buried a McManus feed on the man-up opportunity at 7:53. Back-to-back Alfred scores tied the contest at six before Simonetti fired in the go-ahead goal with under five minutes left, assisted by Adams. Alfred answered with a man-up tally to send the teams into halftime tied 7-7.

McManus opened the third quarter with a goal to begin a four-goal run for the Blue and White, finishing Adams' third assist. Hogaboom added his second man-up tally of the day off a Simonetti feed, and August extended the lead to three. Just six seconds after a Crowley faceoff win, August struck again to cap the run. Alfred responded with consecutive goals, but Hartwick answered with another four-goal spurt. In the final two minutes of the third, Simonetti and August added tallies before Dave Phillips (Stamford, CT) netted his first collegiate goal, finishing a Hogaboom pass to close the quarter.

August opened the fourth with his sixth goal of the game to push the Hawks ahead by six. Two Alfred scores cut the deficit to four, but Hartwick continued to score in bunches as McManus, Hogaboom, and August each added unassisted goals. The Saxons added three late tallies but were unable to close the gap, as the Hawks secured the conference victory.

The teams were evenly matched statistically, with Alfred holding a slight 43-41 edge in shots, while Hartwick led 33-32 in shots on goal. Johnson was stellar in net, making 18 saves and helping the Hawks post an impressive 21-for-22 clearing effort. Hartwick capitalized when it mattered, converting three of five man-up opportunities while holding Alfred to just one goal in seven chances.

August was virtually unstoppable, scoring seven goals on eight shots on goal. He also recorded a career-high four caused turnovers and seven ground balls. With his performance, August moved into a tie for fourth place in program history with Hartwick Hall of Famer and program points leader Ross Pino '02, totaling 127 career goals.

Simonetti and Hogaboom each recorded hat tricks, while McManus added two goals. Phillips, Madden, and Rubin rounded out the scoring. Cael Lawson (Ontario, N.Y.) continued his strong play with four caused turnovers for the second consecutive game, including the final defensive stop.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
Hartwick hits the road for a 4 p.m. faceoff against SUNY Poly on Wednesday, April 15.

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.