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[ 11-13-2005 ] Hartwick Wins ASC Title Hawks Receive Automatic Bid to NCAA Tournament ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick College scored twice in the second half to post a 2-0 win over Oneonta State in the Atlantic Soccer Conference Championship match on Elmore Field on Sunday afternoon. The win gives Hartwick the ASC’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA College Cup. Hartwick took a 1-0 lead just 1:03 into the second half, as freshman John Paul Boyle (Trinity/Renfrew, Scotland) scored his 10th goal of the season on a scramble in the box. The play started with a Kenny Rodriguez (Parkview/Lilburn, Ga.) corner kick, which was headed away by an Oneonta defender. Rodriguez tracked down the ball about 25 yards out on the right side, and lobbed a ball into the box, where it when untouched through traffic to Boyle’s foot at the back post. It appeared Boyle’s initial try was stopped by Oneonta goalkeeper Tim Melia, but Boyle put a foot on the rebound and managed to find the back of the net. ‘The first goal was very important,” said Hartwick head coach Ian McIntyre. “Getting it early in the second half helped us to settle down a bit. I thought if we could impose ourselves upon the game in the second half that the goal would come, but I didn’t expect it would be that quickly.” Hartwick had a golden opportunity go by the scoreboard in the 61st minute, as junior back Adam Mitchinson (Edinburgh University/Borehamwood, England) had a header that rang off the back post. Oneonta had a chance to equalize the game with perhaps its best scoring opportunity of the day, but Hartwick freshman goalkeeper Joe Gibson (Lancaster Mennonite/Manheim, Pa.) punched away Matt Watts’ dangerous free kick. “I think our freshman goalkeeper came of age today,” said McIntyre. “He’s a good goalkeeper and he’s only going to get better, but he controlled the box and had a presence today.” The Hawks finally got some insurance from Mitchinson, the tournament’s defensive MVP, when he converted on a header, as he knocked home Craig Potter’s (St. Michael’s Academy/Renfrew, Scotland) free kick which was a missile launched from 45 yards out on the right side of the field. “I was just hanging out at the back post,” said Mitchinson. “Potsie put it in the right spot, and the goalkeeper came out and I had and empty net to put it in.” “We actually talked yesterday about how this is the kind of game that we need Mitch to score in,” said McIntyre. In today’s semifinal, neither team managed a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, which apperared to be a feeling-out process. “Oneonta worked very hard and frustrated us in the first half,” said McIntyre. “The wind disrupted the game a bit. In the first half we really couldn’t hold the ball up with our forwards, it kept rolling through for goal kicks, and I think it affected Oneonta the same way in the second half.” Boyle was named the tourney’s offensive MVP, netting the game winning goal in both the semifinal and championship match. “J.P. never gets frustrated and he just keeps working hard,” said McIntyre. “We feel that when he gets a chance he’ll finish it.” The win lifts Hartwick’s record to 13-5-1 on the season, and the automatic bid provides a chance for vindication for many players who were part of 15-, and 13-win teams the past two seasons but were not selected to the tournament. “We’re in unknown territory now,” said Mitchinson. “”Bring it on. We’ll see who we get in the tournament tomorrow. Having lost to FIU last year makes this win all the better. It’s tremendous for us, Re-Ignite the Wick, and everyone associated with Hartwick soccer.” Oneonta ends its season with a 8-10-2 overall record. “We had a good battle. Oneonta really turned up today,” said Mitchinson. “All credit to the boys, we worked hard for 90 minutes. There was so much at stake, we have to give Oneonta their due. We knew it was going to be a battle. “I thought it was two competitive teams in a championship game,” said McIntyre of the match. “I’d expect nothing less.” Hartwick leads the all-time series with Oneonta, 17-2-1. The Hawks won the prior meeting this season at Oneonta by a 3-0 score. With the ASC title comes the conference’s automatic qualifier. Hartwick receives its 23rd bid to the NCAA’s College Cup tournament. The NCAA will make its announcement of selected teams on Monday at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN News. First round games will be played on Friday November 18, or Saturday, November 19. “It’s been a while,” said McIntyre of the tournament berth. “It’s something that’s very new for the players on our team – and it’s a great reward for a number of people who put in a lot of hard work both on and off the field for this program. We had great support from our fans today, and we had a number of alums who drove or flew in just to be here for this game. We’ll enjoy this win for now, take the day off tomorrow and find out who we play, and then do a bit of work to get ready for the tournament.” Oneonta (8-10-2) vs. Hartwick College (13-5-1) Date: Nov 13, 2005 Attendance: 770 Weather: 60 degrees, clear, breezy Goals by period 1 2 Tot ------------------------------- Oneonta............. 0 0 - 0 Hartwick College.... 0 2 - 2 SCORING SUMMARY: 1. 46:03 HARTWICK John Paul Boyle (10) (Kenny Rodriguez) - ball into the box - shot 2. 79:30 HARTWICK Adam Mitchinson (2) (Craig Potter) - header off indirect kick Shots: Oneonta 6, Hartwick College 12 Saves: Oneonta 2 (Timothy Melia 2), Hartwick College 3 (Joseph Gibson 3) | ||
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