The Hartford Hawks women’s soccer team made its inaugural appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference postseason tournament this past weekend, winning it. Following a ten-game winning run to complete the regular season, Hartford won the tournament in back-to-back games to take the title and finish the season with a twelve-game winning streak. After tallying seven goals in the two postseason games, senior Imani Jenkins was awarded MVP of the competition. Jenkins finished the season with 82 points and 33 goals, making it the highest-scoring season in Hartford Hawks women’s soccer history. Her previous best of 62 points and 28 goals, set in 1998 by Danielle Korbmacher, was surpassed.
Hartford initially triumphed over New Jersey City University, winning 7–2. Jenkins surpassed his career high with four goals in the match. In the first game, Jersey City was completely destroyed by goals from Christina Stone, May Cervone, and Rebecca Opdenbrouw. The Hawks defeated the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg 6-0 in their season-ending match to win the championship. Jenkins opened the game with three goals in a row, establishing the tone for the remainder of the encounter. Victoria Jedrychowski, Ishani Sharma, and Stone each scored a goal to help win the game in the closing minutes. “It was an unbelievable way to end the year,” said Hartford Head Women’s Soccer Coach John Natale. “Every team member contributed to this championship. I would like to thank the ECAC for giving us this opportunity to compete. They truly provide a platform for student-athletes to shine.”
