ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick scored in the 19^th minute and held off visiting Houghton College the rest of the way on Wednesday night in a gritty 1-0 win on Elmore Field. The victory is Hartwick’s second straight 1-0 conference win. It also marks the team’s best conference start since joining the Empire 8 in 1999. The Hawks, now 6-2-1, are also off to their best overall start to a season since 1995.
            Hartwick got its only goal off an indirect kick in the box. Sixteen yards out, sophomore Cami Cleaveland (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) touched the ball and reigning Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week Kylie Thayer (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) hit a low shot to the far post that gave Houghton keeper Shawna Sprout no chance and ’Wick was in front 1-0.
            The Highlanders had a few good opportunities to score in the first, with all of their chances coming from senior Stephany Ellison. With 24 and a half minutes left in the half, Ellison was played in from teammate Alexis Lamb but she fired wide of the target.
            Four and a half minutes later an Ellison laser was punched away by Hartwick goalkeeper Alley Maurer (Jackson, NJ/Old Bridge). Maurer made one more stop on an Ellison effort with 11 minutes remaining and the Hawks and Highlanders went into halftime locked in a one-goal game.
            The Highlanders continued to pressure the ’Wick goal holding a 9-1 margin in shots in the second 45 minutes. Ellison, who finished the game with 12 of Houghton’s 16 shots, including six which were on target, had another four solid chances to even the match in the second stanza.
            Ellison had a volley off a corner kick go just wide less than seven minutes into the half. Ellison then had a blast from 40 yards away that Maurer had difficulty dealing with but managed to tip over the bar. Later with 28 minutes left in the game, Ellison sent another long-range shot from 25 yards that Maurer got her body in front of to keep the ball out.
            Maurer's seventh save of the night came with roughly 11 minutes left. Ellison broke in along the end line to the right of Maurer. She fired and Maurer got a hand on it and the ball deflected off the post. It bounced straight down and right back to Maurer, who smothered the ball to help preserve the lead.
            The Highlanders had two more shots in the final 11 minutes but neither troubled Maurer, who earned her second consecutive shutout. She finished the night with a career-high eight stops. Sprout closed the game for Houghton with two saves.
            Hartwick women’s soccer will look to extend its unbeaten streak to five games on Sunday. The Hawks travel to Wells College for a non-conference game beginning at 3 p.m.

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