PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford women's soccer team took over sole possession of first place in the America East Conference on Sunday with its third-straight shutout, topping the Vermont Catamounts 2-0 on Senior Day in West Hartford. Senior Arielle Aikens capitalized in her final regular season home contest scoring the game-winning goal for the Hawks in the 62nd minute.

Chanel Johnson provided an insurance goal for the Hawks in the 75th minute as she netted her team-leading eighth goal and scored at least one goal in her fourth-straight game. The shutout for Jurg is her league leading eighth of the season, the 10th overall for Hartford who guaranteed a spot in the 2013 America East Championship which will start on November 3.

Hartford pressured the Catamounts defense right out of the gates with three shots in the first eight minutes. Elise Galipo would register the first shot 3:26 into the action forcing Vermont keeper Morgan Nichols to make her first save of the game.

Aikens and Galipo provided two more shots in the next few minutes with both missing the mark. Vermont would then threaten for the first time in the 15th and 16th minutes with a pair shots inside the box, but neither attempt would challenge the Hawks keeper, Jessica Jurg.

The Hawks best look at tallying a goal came with 20 minutes remaining as Johnson worked herself open at the top of the 18-yard box blasting a shot on goal that forced Morgan to make a diving save to keep the game scoreless.

Vermont provided the first opportunities in the second half with a pair of shots that sailed high of the net. The first of those attempts was a bicycle kick from Bre Pletnick that came off her boot and went about three feet over the crossbar. The second of those attempts came from Alex Jenkins.

Hartford would break the scoreless tie late in the 62nd minute, working off of a corner kick. The goal came on the second shot attempt that followed the restart from Stephanie Santos, with the initial shot coming from Galipo. Off that rebound, Amanda Hamilton pushed a pass across the six-yard box to the left post where Aikens netted her second goal of the season sending her shot to the middle of the target.

The Hawks had another opportunity 34 seconds later, again working off a corner kick, the fifth of the second half for the home team. This time another senior, Raelynn Mikell, collected the restart and blasted a shot that was kick saved by a Vermont defender for a team save.

Johnson's goal added to the tally in the 75th minute. The play began as Natasha Douglas tracked down a ball the Catamounts failed to clear deep in their defensive zone. After dribbling into the box, Douglas crossed back to Johnson who blasted her third shot of the game to the left of the Catamounts keeper finding the back of the net.

Just a few second later, the Catamounts threatened with a long shot from Paige Phillips that Jurg cradled in her grasp ending the opportunity and collecting her second save of the afternoon. The Hawks would have a great look with less than five minutes remaining in the contest when Sarah Velasquez had a one-on-one opportunity with the Catamounts keeper thanks to a forward pass. Velasquez's attempt was thwarted by Nichols who read the play correctly and collapsed on the shot from the Hawks junior striker.

The Hawks close out the regular season on Thursday, October 24 when they travel to UMBC for a 7 p.m. game against the Retrievers. Hartford then has a bye for the final weekend of the regular season as it awaits a potential America East tournament game. The top six teams following the regular season advance to the league championship.