WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford women's soccer team dropped its final non-conference test of the season by a 4-3 margin to the visiting Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Thursday night at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. The Hawks close out the non-conference scheduled with a 4-2-3 overall record.

Hartford used the combination of junior Sidney Spremullo and senior Chanel Johnson to score all three of the Hawks goals with Spremullo leading the duo with two goals and an assist for five points. Johnson tallied the other goal with Spremullo returning the favor with her third assist of the season. The two goals for Spremullo represent her first career multi-goal outing.

The Knights received all of their scoring from redshirt-sophomore Rachel Hoekstra who scored her team's first three goals all unassisted. She then paired up with Kasey Schiavoni just over six minutes into the overtime period for the game-winning tally.

Hartford split its keeping responsibilities between sophomore Jessica Jurg in the opening half and senior Alison Koerkenmeier in the second half. Of the pair Koerkenmeier finished with five of the Hawks six total saves.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·        Hartford took an early 2-0 advantage and never looked back against the Knights with junior Sidney Spremullo and senior Chanel Johnson combining to score both goals. Spremullo scored the opening goal off an assist from Johnson while Spremullo returned the favor 13 minutes later.

·       The Hawks had a key opportunity early in the contest when Chanel Johnson had a one-on-one opportunity with the Knights keeper after chasing down a forward pass from Sidney Spremullo. Her shot lifted just high of the upper right corner of the goal.

·       Just prior to the Knights breaking the shutout, Hartford had two more opportunities at adding to its lead. The first came from defender Caitlin Smallfield whose long drive had to be pushed over the crossbar by the Knights keeper, Felicia Burr. That set up a pair of corner kick opportunities with two header shots from Raelynn Mikell needing to be saved by Burr.

·       Coming out of the intermission, Hartford put the early pressure on the Knights defense with a pair of scoring opportunities in the first five minutes. Johnson provided the first on a long shot that Burr needed to making a diving stop to her left as the ball curved back in at the right side post. That save forced the Hawks ninth corner kick of the game, a season-high. The second shot came early in the 51st minute with a 24-yard blast from Spremullo straight into the keepers grasp.

·       Spremullo then completed her first career multi-goal game with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest when she connected with Johnson for a go-ahead goal. Johnson pushed a pass ahead, through the defense, with Spremullo collecting and using her speed to work a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper. Her line drive shot found the right side of the goal.

·       The Knights would continue to pressure Hartford in the second half, with Rachel Hoekstra breaking through less than three minutes before the final horn to complete a hat trick and tie the game at three, eventually forcing the extra frame. She would then net her fourth goal of the game early in the 97th minute to earn her squad the victory.

·       Hartford finished the night time match-up with an 18-15 shot advantage, closing out the nine-game non-conference schedule outshooting eight the opponents. Nine of the Hawks 18 total shots were marked on goal forcing the Knights keeper, Felicia Burr, to make five saves with her defense also registering one. 
 

GOALS RUNDOWN 

·        Hartford would break the scoreless tie in the 18th minute as junior midfielder Sidney Spremullo tallied her third goal of the season. Senior forward Chanel Johnson provided the opportunity when she sailed a cross from about five yards off the end line to the center of the box where Spremullo  --- Johnson cross about five yards out to the center of the box where Spremullo fired a low line drive to the right of the FDU keeper.

·        Johnson extended her season-high in goals to seven adding a goal in the 31st minute, again partnering with Spremullo for the score. Spremullo began the play with a direct kick just inside the end line with her service finding Johnson on the opposite side of the box. Johnson's header attempt bounced off the turf and into the top of the goal, providing a 2-0 advantage.

·        The Knights broke up the shutout with just over eight minutes left as Rachel Hoekstra looped a shot over Hartford keeper Jessica Jurg who had come out to collect a rebound attempt. Hoekstra tracked down that rebound and using her height advantage pushed her header over the outstretched arms of Jurg.

·        FDU tied the contest in the 69th minute on a play that began with a long drop kick by the Knights keeper Felicia Burr. Hoekstra tracked down that pass and out-wheeled the Hawks defense, setting up a shot from the top of the six yard box. Her attempt squeezed between the Hawks keeper, Alison Koerkenmeier, and the right upright for the game-tying tally.

·        Just inside the 81st minute, Spremullo broke the draw with her second goal of the season, her first multi-goal game of her career. Johnson again began the play as she pushed a past straight up the middle with Spremullo's tracking it down and using her speed to create a one-on-one opportunity, beating Burr to the lower right corner of the goal.

·        Hoekstra struck again for the Knights, completing the hat trick, as she blasted a shot from the upper left corner of the 18-yard box. The shot was stopped by Koerkenmeier but her save bounced out of her hands and over her body into the goal, for the sophomore's second game-tying goal of the game.

·        It was all Hoekstra as she tallied her fourth goal of the game, the game-winner, in the first overtime working off a corner kick served in by Kasey Schiavoni. The corner kick restart found Hoekstra on the opposite post where she headed in the final goal of the night.
 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

·       Hartford finished the game with a season-high 11corner kicks, eight of which came in the opening half.

·       Junior midfielder Sidney Spremullo recorded her first career multi-goal game, recording five total points on two goals and an assist.

·       Senior striker Chanel Johnson added to her team-high goals tally with her seventh of the season coming in the 31st minute. Her two assists now ties her with Spremullo for the team-best.

·       The four goals scored by Fairleigh Dickinson was the most allowed by a Hartford team since August 29, 2010 when the Hawks dropped a 4-3 decision to Temple at the Owls Tournament.

·       The Hawks finished the game with an 18-15 shot advantage, the eighth time in the nine non-conference games that Hartford has outshot its opponent.  
 

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less) 

·        Junior Sidney Spremullo doubled her total season goals scoring twice against the Knights, finishing with 5 points total.

·        Senior striker Chanel Johnson scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season

·       With its 18-15 advantage in total shots, the Hawks finished their non-conference schedule outshooting eight of the nine opponents.
 

UP NEXT
Hartford returns home for the first time since posting a 1-0 win over Villanova on September 6 when it hosts neighboring rival Central Connecticut on Wednesday, October 1. Meeting for the eighth time in as many seasons, the Hawks seek their third-straight victory over the Blue Devils with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.