Hawks End Final Road Game With a Draw

On Sunday, the Hartford women’s soccer team battled Maine to a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Mahaney Diamond in America East. The Hawks (8-3-4 overall), who extend their unbeaten streak to three, head into their final regular-season game with a 3-2-3 record in conference play. Maine (3-6-4) moves to 1-5-2 in the league. The players took to the pitch, and the game was underway.
The Black Bears took the lead early in the 17th minute. Intercepting a pass near midfield, Emma Donovan fed a streaking Abby Kraemer with a downfield pass through the middle of the field. Donovan gathered herself and fired a shot to the upper right part of the net to give Maine the early 1-0 lead. The Black Bears were close the extending their lead, but they were called offsides.
Maine, which held a 10-3 edge in shots with the wind at its back in the first half, saw the field tilt in favor of Hartford after intermission. Outshooting the Black Bears, 9-5, in that stretch, the Hawks broke through in the 67th minute. With the wind gusting in her favor, graduate student Saige Bingman struck from nearly 30 yards out and buried a shot into the back of the net to tie up the contest at 1-1.
Neither team would score in the two overtime periods, but fifth-year senior, Maia Perez, stood on her head in the net. Perez turned away countless scoring opportunities for the Black Bears. Her most crucial save came in the 92nd minute as she denied Emma Donovan from point-blank. The Hawks kept it tied at one and went home with a point nonetheless.
The Hawks conclude their 2021 regular season at home on Thursday, Oct. 28, when they welcome the NJIT Highlanders to Al-Marzook Field. The meeting will be the teams’ first as conference mates, with NJIT joining the America East for the 2019-20 academic year. Prior to the 5 p.m. kickoff, Hartford will celebrate its graduating class in a Senior Night Ceremony. Be sure to come out and support our seniors for all of their hard work and dedication to the program.