AURORA, NY - First-year players Brittany LaVaute (Skaneateles, NY) and Hannah Kennedy (Avon, CT) combined for eight goals to lead Hartwick to a 16-11 road victory over Wells College Thursday. The Hawks overcame a 6-6 deadlock at the end of the first half to outscore the Express 10-5 in the second stanza to emerge with their second victory of the season.
LaVaute and Kennedy each finished the match with career highs of four goals. Another freshman, Emily Walsh (Cortland, NY), finished with two second-half goals for the Hawks and sophomore keeper Jen Kaye (Altamont, NY) made 13 saves in the 'Wick cage.
The Hawks ended the contest with a 45-26 edge in shots for the game. 'Wick also won the ground ball battle, 24-15, and collected 18-of-28 draws on the day.
Hartwick controlled the first half, nearly doubling up the Express in shots for the first 30 minutes (22-12). Despite the shot advantage, the Hawks scored just six times and were frustrated by Wells' goalie Liz Barclay who made 10 saves in the stanza.
The Express' Emily Lotkowitcz, who ranks second in the nation in goals per game, opened the scoring 2:53 into the contest. She would score three of the six Express goals in the first half. After Lotkowitcz's first, freshmen Glynn Couch (Watertown, NY) and Emily Piedigrossi (Cortland, NY) would come back to give 'Wick the lead with two goals 40 seconds apart, and Grace Coppola (Scotia, NY) made it 3-2 after Lotkowitcz's second tally.
The hosts would score three goals in a 7:50 span to open up a two-goal edge (5-3) with under 10 minutes to play in the first half. Despite a Hartwick yellow card forcing the team to play a player down for three minutes, the Hawks managed two goals to tie the game up with just over four minutes left. Kennedy netted an unassisted tally with 6:20 left and scored again on a free position goal just over two minutes later to put 'Wick on even terms. The Express would retake the lead briefly before LaVaute scored her first of the day 27 seconds before halftime to tie the game at 6-6.
In the second half, Hartwick gained a three-goal lead with four goals in the opening eight minutes. Stephanie Nutt (Shirley, NY), LaVaute, Jess Kenna (Mastic Beach, NY), and Walsh each registered goals in the span and 'Wick led by a count of 10-7. Forty-one seconds after Walsh scored, Wells cut the deficit to 10-8, but another Kennedy pair 1:07 apart quickly made it a 12-8 contest to widen the 'Wick lead.
Midway through the second half, Tiffanie Bishop (Shoreham, VT) found the net on a free position effort and she setup Walsh for her second goal of the day shortly afterward to give 'Wick its largest advantage of the day, 14-9. Wells cut the Hartwick lead to four goals twice in the final 15 minutes but got no closer. LaVaute would score the Hawks' final two goals of the match with the second coming with under six minutes left off a pass from Nutt.
Lotkowitcz would end the match as the day's leader in points with five goals and two assists. She also won six draws in the contest. Stefanie Miller added three goals for the Express and nabbed five ground balls. Barclay stopped 22 Hartwick shots in the game.
LaVaute added a match-high eight draw controls for Hartwick. Bishop contributed seven. Nutt would finish with a team-high four ground balls.
Hartwick wraps up the regular season on the road with a pair of Empire 8 games this weekend. The Hawks play at Ithaca College Saturday at 1 p.m. and close out the 2009 campaign at Elmira College Sunday at 1 p.m.
