PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – A pair of Hawks newcomers scored their first goals in 2013, lifting the University of Hartford women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over the Vermont Catamounts in the America East Championship quarterfinals. With the victory, Hartford advances to play the top-seeded UMBC Retrievers Sunday, November 3, at 1 p.m. at Retrievers Soccer Park.

Freshman defender Caitlin Smallfield scored the equalizing goal in the 37th minute, her first as a Hawk. Junior transfer Stephanie Santos picked up her second and third points of the night, after assisting Smallfield, with her first goal of the season in the 59th minute. Santos game-winning tally came by way of a free kick that she arched just over the outstretched arms of Vermont keeper Morgan Nichols and just under the crossbar.

Hartford threatened for the first time with just under 10 minutes played in the quarterfinal match-up as Santos provided the restart on a Catamount foul. Her service into the box found Amanda Hamilton about six yards out, but the header attempt went wide right.

Vermont used its first corner kick of the evening to its advantage as Paige Phillips worked on the opposite side of the box firing a shot towards the opposite upright that missed the far post by less than a foot. The Catamounts then converted their second-straight shot attempt for a 1-0 lead 19:56 into the game. America East Rookie of the Year Nikki McFarland collected a missed clear by Hartford and sent her first shot of the game careening off the opposite post into the back of the net.

Hartford looked to even the score twice within the next 135 seconds with Chanel Johnson and Arielle Aikens both booting their first shots of the game. Johnson's shot sailed right of the goal, while Aikens attempt forced Catamounts keeper Morgan Nichols to collect her first save of the evening.

The Hawks had a great look at scoring with 11:20 to play in the opening half when Elise Galipo received a forward pass from Johnson. Galipo worked her way between a pair of defenders and sent a straight away shot on goal that Nichols caught for her second save.

Hartford then evened the score in the 37th minute as they worked off their fourth corner kick of the half. Santos, the co-Midfielder of the Year, served the corner deep into the box where Smallfield put a boot on it a couple feet off the ground, blasting her shot into the top right corner. The goal for Smallfield is her first as a Hawk, while the assist for Santos is her league leading eighth of the year.

The Hawks put two more shots on goal in the final 10 minutes of the half the first a header from Johnson off another corner kick restart from Santos. Nichols easily collected Johnson's header attempt to end the threat. Hamilton forced Nichols to make her fourth stop of the opening half when she attempted her second shot of the game with under five minutes before the break. Hartford finished the first half with a 9-3 overall shot advantage.

Hartford followed up Santos goal with another scoring opportunity minutes later. The first came as the Hawks worked off their first corner kick of the second half. Hamilton was able to get a header shot off the corner from Santos, but the attempt went over the crossbar ending the opportunity.

The Hawks would take just one more shot in the contest, however it forced the Catamounts senior keeper to make her fifth save of the night. Vermont mustered just three total shots in the game with none of them putting Hartford All-Rookie keeper, Jessica Jurg, to the test.