ITHACA, NY – Hartwick was unlucky in a 1-0 loss to regionally ranked Cornell (5-2-1) on Wednesday night. The Hawks had several chances but couldn’t find the net. Instead, a Big Red goal in the 32^nd minute was the difference in the match.
            “How we’ve lost this game is beyond belief,” said John Scott following the match. “It’s just another bitter pill to swallow.”
             Cornell got the only goal of the game following a service into the box. Conor Goepel played the ball in where it was met by Devin Morgan. His header from six yards out at 31:50 would put his team in front.
            Reigning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week Mike Rood (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley) generated a pair of chances for the Hawks in the first half that were inches from going in the goal. The first one was created by midfielder Chris Walter (Amherst, NY/Nichols) who got free on the end line and played the ball back to Rood. His shot from in close forced a desperate toe-save from Cornell keeper Zach Zagorski to somehow kept the ball out.
            After the Big Red tally, Rood had another shot deflected which hit the goalpost, bounced on the line and out on the other side, miraculously not crossing the goal line.
            Earlier in the opening half roughly 29 minutes in, back Jamie O’Grady (Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk) hit a screaming shot from 40 yards out which went inches wide of the post. Just a few minutes later, back Kit Tregear (Brighton, England/BHASVIC) played a header back across the goal creating a scramble. Fellow back Jack Miller (Commack, NY/Commack) got a shot off but it scraped just past the post.
            The Hawks would fire five shots in the second half as they sought the tying goal. None was closer than Marc Russell’s (Glasgow, Scotland/Woodfarm) chance with less than 12 minutes to go. He just got underneath the ball, however, and put his shot just over the Cornell crossbar. The Bid Red would limit the Hawks to one more off-target shot in the final minutes as they survived for the victory.
            “In the second half, we really dominated,” added Scott. “Marc’s chance was unlucky and would have at least put us in overtime.”
            Tom Buckner (Oxford, England/Henley College) made six saves in goal for the Hawks. Zagorski mad three saves for Cornell, which finished with a 12-10 edge in shots.
            Hartwick (0-5-3) will be on the road again on Sunday. The Hawks play at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI at 1 p.m.
            “We can’t catch a break,” exclaimed Scott. “But we need to get over this and prepare for the next one.”

 

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