ATLANTA, GA – Fourth-seeded Hartwick fell to top seed Coastal Carolina by a final score of     2-0 on Friday afternoon in the Sun Belt Conference semifinal round at GSU Soccer Complex in Atlanta, GA. The Hawks end their season with a record of 9-6-4.
            First Team All-Sun Belt forward Frantzdy Pierrot netted both goals for the Chanticleers with under nine minutes remaining in the first half. The victory for Coastal sends them into Sunday’s final against the Georgia Southern-Georgia State winner.

            Coastal got off to a quick start generating a free kick 25 yards away from Hartwick’s goal after just two minutes. Einar Einarsson’s had his first opportunity blocked but he gathered the rebound and drove a shot to the far post that Lenny Wilson (Aberdeen, Scotland/Cults Academy) had to dive to his left for to keep it out for a corner.

            Four minutes later, Robin Bjornholm-Jatta ran onto a through ball into the Hawks’ box, but he didn’t get much on the shot allowing Wilson an easy save.
            The Hawks earned their first opportunity 17 minutes into the half. Kyle Honor’s (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) through pass from midfield allowed loads of space for Mike Rood (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley) to run onto it. He fired from just outside the Coastal box but wasn’t able to get much power behind it and the ball went right to keeper Braulio Linares-Ortiz for the save.
            The Hawks were unlucky not to break through with just over 19 minutes left in the half. After Marcus Nordgard (Copenhagen, Denmark/Oeregaard Gymnasium) did well to beat a pair of defenders on the flank, his cross took a deflection and allowed Hamish Ritchie (Aboyne, Scotland/Aboyne Academy) to run onto the ball for a shot. Ritchie’s well-placed effort was somehow turned away by Linares-Ortiz with an impressive stop.
            The Chanticleers got on the scoreboard with 8:08 remaining in the half. Coastal won the knockdown off a Hartwick clearance and got the ball to Ryan Willoughby on the right side the Hawks’ goal. His deep cross found Pierrot, who slipped away from a ’Wick defender, at the far bar to head home for the 1-0 lead.
            Pierrot added to their total 6:25 later. A long cross from the sideline looked like it would go past everyone and out for a goal kick. Instead, Martin Melchor got to it and headed the ball back across the goal mouth where Pierrot was waiting to head in. Wilson made a diving attempt at the header and appeared to keep the ball out, but the linesman deemed it had crossed the goal line.
            Hartwick had one last chance in the half with 28 ticks left. A Jack Donaldson (Paisley, Scotland/Mars Hill University) corner found the head of Johnny McBeth (Glasgow, Scotland/Upper Iowa University) but his shot was corralled by Linares-Ortiz.

            The Chanticleers closed the half with a 6-3 edge in shots and a 5-2 edge in corners.  
            Marc Berry (Galashiels, Scotland/Galashiels Academy) came on for the second half and generated ’Wick’s first chance after eight minutes. He took a throw-in and split a pair of defenders before putting a low shot on target but right into the arms of the Chanticleer keeper. A few minutes later, Berry had a long-range effort on target with Linares-Ortiz there for his sixth save.  
            Scoring chances were at a premium for the next 15 minutes of action until Pierrot got free and walked in alone with Wilson with just over 20 minutes left. Wilson was up to the challenge with a strong 1 v 1 save. He would make another 90 seconds later on a Louis Dargent effort after he got free in the box.
            The Hawks began throwing numbers forward and they produced two chances with under nine minutes left. Harry Morton (Napier, New Zealand/Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu) had a shot from in close off a Nordgard feed that was saved. Thirty second later, Nordgard hit one over the bar from 15 yards away for what would mark the Hawks’ final opportunity.

            Hartwick out-shot the Chanticleers 9-5 in the second half. Coastal would finish the match with a 12-11 advantage.
            Wilson ended the contest with five saves. Linares-Ortiz stopped seven for Coastal.

            The match marked the final one for seniors Rood, Kit Tregear (Hassicks, England/BHASVIC), Maurizio Fornerino (Maracaibo, Venezuela/International School of Brunei), Justin Broome (Markham, ONT/Bill Crothers Secondary School), and Donaldson. Rood, Tregear, Fornerino, and Broome’s four seasons included 31 victories, four postseason appearances, two Sun Belt titles, and two NCAA Tournament berths.

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