THE BASICS:

RESULT: Hartford 2, Albany 1    
RECORDS: Hartford 9-2-4, 3-0-3 AE; Albany 6-8-1, 1-3-1 AE
LOCATION: Bob Ford Field (Albany, N.Y.)   

THE LEAD: The University of Hartford women's soccer team scored twice in the final 14 minutes of regulation on Thursday night, erasing a 1-0 deficit to top Albany, 2-1, at Bob Ford Field. Junior Caitlin Smallfield netted the equalizer on her first goal this season in the 77th minute before freshman Hayley Nolan completed the comeback for the Hawks in the 83rd minute of action. The game-winner, Nolan's second this season, preserved Hartford's unbeaten record in the America East as the squad improves to 3-0-3 in league games. Freshman Julia Carr recorded assists on both of the Hawks' goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

·         Facing a one goal deficit for the second-straight game thanks to an Albany marker at 38:33, the Hawks managed to shake off a sluggish first half that featured an 11-2 disadvantage in shots. After dodging a bullet on a Vivian Vega shot from 25-yards out that was out of reach of a diving Jessica Jurg and hit the far post midway through the second, it was all Hartford for the remainder of the match as it put up six shots to the Great Danes' three.

·         With 14:45 left, Tori Tripp had her open look saved by Albany keeper Alana Olivieri, forcing a corner kick. Producing a header out of that set play that was deflected by a Great Danes' defender, the Hawks earned another corner from the opposite side of the field. Hartford cashed in on that opportunity, as Smallfield headed-in a perfectly served ball by Carr to tie the game up at 1-1 with 13:44 left to play.

·         Hartford's second goal, the eventual game-winner, also resulted from a corner kick. With Carr again taking the honor, she curled a ball towards the left post towards Nolan, who put the finishing touches on the ball with just over seven minutes left to play.

·         With 47 seconds remaining, Albany had one final chance to tie up the match and force overtime, but Meghan Malone's shot was redirected away from the goal by a Hartford defender.

·         The Hawks were forced to play from behind as Leanna Miller hooked up with Krista Fitzpatrick for the game's first goal at 38:33. Fitzpatrick served a ball towards the scoring box on a free kick, and Miller, who was set up on the far corner of the 18-yard box, headed home the go-ahead goal that gave Albany the 1-0 edge heading into halftime.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

·         The Hawks were edged in shots by a commanding 11-2 margin, but went on to hold the advantage over the Great Danes in the decisive second half at 8-7

·         The Hawks produced better looks as six of their 10 total shots were put on target; Albany had just five of its 18 shots marked as shots on goal

·         Each keeper made four saves on the night

·         Albany held a 10-5 advantage in corner kicks

NEWS & NOTES:

·         Hartford remains unbeaten in America East games with its come-from-behind victory at Albany, improving to 3-0-3 in the league.

·         Furthermore, the Hawks have gone unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 games, as they are 8-1-4 since the start of September.

·         Scoring their third-straight win against the Great Danes, the Hawks improve their commanding advantage in the series to 13-1-2 .

·         Hartford has never lost in Albany, as it is 8-0-1 since the two teams' inaugural meeting in 2001

·         Head coach John Natale, who is in the midst of his 12th season at Hartford, needs just two more wins to become the program's winningest coach.

·         Smallfield's equalizer marker the first goal of the season for the junior and the second on her career while Nolan delivered the game-winning tally for the second time this season

UP NEXT:                                                                    
Hartford has the weekend off before returning to action on Thursday, Oct. 22. Making its return to West Hartford, the Hawks will battle New Hampshire in a rematch of last season's America East Championship title match at 6 p.m. That date also marks the squad's Senior Day, as Hartford's seven seniors (Emma Donnelly, Elise Galipo, Kylie Hoang, Kristen McAdams, Erica Primovic, Stephanie Santos and Sidney Spremullo) will be playing their final regular season game at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium.