ONEONTA, NY – Visiting University at Albany registered just two shots in the opening half against Hartwick’s men’s soccer team, but the Great Danes scored on both of them, helping them pull out a 3-0 victory over the Hawks on Tuesday night at Elmore Field.
            Afonso Pinheiro netted a pair of Albany goals, including the winner just 7:33 into the match. Leo Melgar finished with the other Great Dane goal. He also added an assist.
            The Hawks had their chances to score but couldn’t put the ball away on the evening. ’Wick would finish with a 14-10 edge in shots.
            The loss is the Hawks’ third straight. They are 0-3-1 in their last four outings. They entered the contest ranked 10^th in the latest Southeast region poll. The Danes, who improve to 9-2-4 overall, sit second in the East region poll.
            Pinheiro gave his team the early lead as he tallied on the first chance for either team. He ran onto a pass from Melgar and fired a shot from 16 yards that took a slight deflection from a Hartwick defender and found the near corner out of the reach of Hawk goalkeeper Lenny Wilson (Aberdeen, Scotland/Cults Academy).
            Hartwick’s first chance came at the 14:05 mark when Harry Morton (Napier, New Zealand/Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu) served up a ball for Mike Rood (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley). He one-timed Morton’s cross directly on goal but right at Albany keeper Lucas Vallilo.
            Just over a minute later, Johnny McBeth (Glasgow, Scotland/Upper Iowa University) was taken down in the Albany box resulting in a penalty kick. Rood stepped up for it but his low shot was saved by Vallilo.
            Five minutes later, the Great Danes added to their total. Melgar intercepted a Hartwick pass in the back and walked in alone with Wilson, beating him low to the far post for a 2-0 Albany advantage.
            The Hawks would hold a 6-2 advantage in shots in the half but they took a 2-0 deficit into the intermission.
            In the second half, the Hawks’ first opportunity came 14 and a half minutes in. A service from Hamish Ritchie (Aboyne, Scotland/Aboyne Academy) was chested down in the box by McBeth for Marc Berry (Galashiels, Scotland/Galashiels Academy), but he put his shot high up over the bar.
            Hartwick’s top chance of the match came with just under 17 minutes remaining. Jack Philp (Edinboro, Scotland/Currie Community HS) put a shot on goal that a diving Vallilo got a hand to. Jack Donaldson (Paisley, Scotland/Mars Hill University) ran onto the rebound but Vallilo robbed him from in close to keep the game at 2-0.
            After the Danes cleared the ball out, Nico Solabarrieta won a ball in the middle of the field and sent a through ball for Pinheiro, who got free from a Hartwick defender. He got into the box, maneuvered around Wilson, and tucked the ball into an empty goal for a 3-0 Albany lead.
            The Hawks would generate three more shots the rest of the way, all from the foot of Jonny Carr (Sunderland, England/Monkwearmouth School), but only one forced a save from Vallilo as the Danes secured the victory.
            The loss drops the Hawks all-time record against Albany to 8-4-3. The Great Danes are 3-0-2 against the Hawks over the last five meetings.
            Wilson finished the night with three saves for Hartwick while Vallilo closed the game with six stops for Albany.
            Hartwick gets back to Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday, October 29 in Atlanta, GA. The Hawks play at Georgia State beginning at 6 p.m.

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