BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Hartwick Flag Football team was defeated by the Villa Maria Vikings on Friday evening in a non-conference battle at ADPRO Field House.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Hartwick 18 Villa Maria 28
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | ADPRO Field House
Records: Hartwick (2-2, 2-1 Empire 8) • Villa Maria (7-1, 5-0 NCFFL)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Hartwick headed north to the practice facility of the Buffalo Bills for a non-conference matchup at ADPRO Field House against Villa Maria.

Wick opened with possession, piecing together an 11-play, 49-yard drive before being halted on fourth-and-goal. Bailey McCoy (Otego, N.Y.) quickly swung momentum back to the Blue and White, intercepting the Villa Maria passer. Coach Zurn's squad capitalized on the short field as McCoy connected with Zoe Sullivan (Sidney, NY) for an 18-yard score, though the Hawks were stopped on the extra point attempt. Villa Maria answered with two chunk rushing plays to even the score and converted the one-point try to take a narrow lead. Anne Stanavich (Amsterdam, NY) jumpstarted Hartwick's final drive of the first quarter with an 11-yard rush, but the Vikings stopped the Hawks on the next four plays.

After both offenses came up empty on their opening drives of the second quarter, Villa Maria struck first, using a 53-yard completion to break through and adding the one-point conversion. The Hawks responded as Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week Audra Doll (Greene, NY) burned the Viking defense for a 46-yard rushing touchdown. The one-point try was unsuccessful, leaving Hartwick trailing by two at halftime.

Villa Maria scored on its opening possession of the second half, extending its lead to nine before forcing a Hartwick punt. The Vikings added another touchdown to push the advantage to 28-12, putting Wick on its heels. The Hawks attempted to answer, picking up two first downs on a 16-yard McCoy reception and a Stanavich rush, but a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

With two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Villa Maria threatened again. Stanavich stepped in front of a third-and-goal pass for an interception as the quarter expired, giving Hartwick possession to begin the fourth. The Hawks' opening drive of the final frame resulted in an interception, but the defense stood tall, forcing an incompletion on fourth-and-goal. The offense was later turned away on another fourth-down attempt before the defense delivered one more stop, highlighted by a sack from Reese Malfetonne (Holtsville, NY).

Wick broke through on its final possession as Doll rushed for 26 yards before finding Kendra Charland (Albany, NY) for 18 more. Doll capped the drive with a 10-yard strike to Stanavich in the closing seconds, but Hartwick fell 28-18 on the road.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will gear up for a quick turnaround, facing off against the D'Youville Saints on Saturday, April 4th at 9AM. 

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.