PHILADELPHIA, PA – Hartwick battled back from an early deficit to tie the game, but the Hawks conceded what would prove to be the game-winner with 2:04 remaining on the clock in a 2-1 loss at La Salle on Saturday night in Philadelphia.

            The win for La Salle is its fourth in a row and it stops the Hawks’ winning streak at four games. Both teams are now 4-4 on the season.

            “We weren’t good enough tonight,” said head coach John Scott after the match. “Basically speaking, we were out-competed.”

            In just the second all-time match between the two schools, the hosts grabbed the early advantage in the 10^th minute. Mathias Patino scored on a rebound in front of the Hartwick goal to put the Explorers in front.

            Jamie O’Grady (Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk HS), Harry Morton (Napier, New Zealand/Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu), Marc Berry (Galashiels, Scotland/Galashiels Academy), Kyle Honor (Setrauket, NY/Ward Melville HS), and Johnny McBeth (Glasgow, Scotland/Upper Iowa University) all had shots for ’Wick, all within a 14-minute span of the half. Only Honors’ was on target, forcing a save from La Salle’s Mark Tobin.

            The Hawks needed six and a half minutes in the second half to tie the match. O’Grady scored from outside the box on a ball that got through Tobin for his team-best sixth goal of the season.

            La Salle would out-shoot Hartwick by a 9-2 margin over the next 34 minutes. Lenny Wilson (Aberdeen, Scotland/Cults Academy) was called upon to make three saves in the span. Hamish Ritchie (Aberdeen, Scotland/Aboyne Academy) had the lone shot on frame for Hartwick.

            With the game looking like it was headed to extra time, La Salle snatched the winner in the 88^th minute. Johnny Las Ciarlante converted Zach Rutherford’s cross in front and La Salle kept the Hawks out over the final two minutes for the win.

            “We failed to create much to really trouble their keeper in the second half,” Scott added. “We lost the late goal because we didn’t defend our box well enough when it mattered.”

            La Salle finished with advantages in shots (18-9) and corners (7-4). Wilson would make five saves for ’Wick with Tobin stopping a pair of shots for the Explorers.

            The Hawks will head back on the road on Tuesday, September 26 for a match at St. Francis Brooklyn beginning at 7 p.m.

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