Burlington, VT - The University of Hartford men's soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to Vermont on Wednesday afternoon at Centennial Field in Burlington.

The Hawks and Catamounts battled through 68 minutes of scoreless soccer until Catamounts' rookie Lukas Peterson found the back of the net mid-way through the second period.  Peterson headed home a cross from Lee Stephane Kouadio past Hartford keeper Nenad Cudic for the lone goal of the match.  Following the Catamounts' goal, freshman Patrick Boucher broke free in the midfield and had an open look at the goal for the equalizer, however his hard 25-yard low strike was just wide of the left post.

 Hartford had the better of the play in the first half, taking seven shots to Vermont's five, but the Catamount defense prevented the Hawks from getting close to the goal.  The Catamounts turned up the attack in the second half, finishing the match with a 13-11 advantage in shots and 7-4 in corner kicks.

Roger Scully earned the shutout in goal for the Catamounts, his seventh of the season.  Cudic finished with four saves against 13 shots for the Hawks, pushing his season total to 44 stops.

It's unfortunate,” reflected head coach Dan Gaspar following the game.  “The loss did not represent the lack of soccer skills, but it was a result of a mental lapse, which we paid dearly for.  I have to give credit to Vermont for staying mentally strong for every second of the game.”

Hartford junior Cedomir Tomcic was selected as the "Man of the Match" following his efforts at the defensive end of the pitch.  For Vermont, T.J. Gore earned the honors.

The Hawks will close out the 2008 regular season at Boston University on Saturday, November 1.  Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.  The Hawks have already punched their ticket for the 2008 America East Championship.  With 10 points, Hartford enters its final game in fifth place.  Seeds and pairings for the America East Men's Soccer Championship will be announced following the close of league play on Sunday.