PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn  – Redshirt senior Adam Yee recorded a career-high in scoring while five other Hawks netted their first career goals as the University of Hartford upended Manhattan, 15-5, in its home opener at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium Saturday. With the win, the Hawks' largest margin of victory since 2012, Hartford evens its record to 1-1. The Jaspers drop to 0-5.   

Having a hand in each of the Hawks' first five goals, Yee went on to finish with seven points, scoring three times while dishing out four assists. Classmate Ty Schuldt also contributed a hat trick, while rookies Griffin Feiner and Justin Huggins each had two goals. Hartford received another impressive performance from freshman faceoff specialist Dylan Protesto, who won 10-of-14 duels to give the Hawks a 12-of-22 advantage on the possession battle.

Andrew Hurst struck twice for Manhattan in the opening half, as he gave his team an early 1-0 advantage 21 seconds out of the opening faceoff before knotting up the score at 2-2 with 10:35 to go in the second quarter. Hartford trailed, 1-0, for the next 14:18 until Yee leveled the score after taking a feed from Kevin O'Shea and beating Michael Zingaro with a shot to the upper right. The Hawks were a man-down on their play and had killed all five of the penalties they were dealt during that stretch.

With 11:38 to go in the second, Yee scored again, this time in transition on a turnover to make it a 2-1 Hartford lead before Hurst made it a 2-2 game with his second goal of the contest. That would be the last Jaspers' goal for quite some time, though, as Hartford turned up the pressure on both ends of the field.

Feiner's first career goal at the 8:51 mark of the second triggered what would be a half-ending, 4-0 run that put the Hawks in front, 6-2, at halftime. The momentum carried on out of the break and into the third quarter as Hartford put six more unanswered points up on the scoreboard to take a 12-2 advantage with what proved to be a 10-0 run.

Held scoreless for 31:18, Manhattan ended its scoring drought with 9:17 left in the game on a strike from Stephen Farrell. His goal triggered what would be a three-goal spurt for the Jaspers as Andrew Hurst, who finished with a team-leading four points, scored his third goal of the game with his team up a man with seven minutes to go before Marcel Godino struck on another man-up opportunity with 2:27 to go, closing Hartford's lead to 12-5.

The Jaspers would get no closer, though, as the Hawks reached the back of the net three more times in the final 76 seconds to score the 10-goal win.

Freshman Ryan Vanderford made 12 saves between the pipes in 45 minutes to earn his first career win, conceding just two goals to the Jaspers. Zingaro recorded nine saves for Manhattan.

THE TURNING POINT:
With the contest tied at 2-2 with 10:35 remaining in the second quarter, the Hawks' sticks caught fire as they ended the stanza with four unanswered goals to go up, 6-2, at the halftime break. Four different players contributed to that stretch, which was sparked by Griffin Feiner's first career goal at the 8:51 mark. Hartford kept the momentum going out of the break and extended its lead to 11-2 by the end of the third quarter with six more unanswered scores. During that combined 10-0 run, freshman Justin Huggins had a pair of goals, including the first of his career, while senior Ty Schuldt netted a hat trick.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

·         Hartford outshot Manhattan, 25-24, and held a commanding 40-25 advantage in ground balls

·         At the X, the Hawks won 12-of-22, but were whistled for four violations

·         Freshman Dylan Protesto went 10-of-14 in faceoffs while classmate Spencer Andrews won 2-of-10

·         In goal, freshman Ryan Vanderford chalked up 12 saves, a season-best, and allowed just two goals in 45 minutes for his first career victory

·         Sophomore Evan Quinn took over the goaltending duties for the Hawks in the fourth quarter, allowing three goals and making three saves in his college debut

·         All but three of the Hawks' goals were assisted

·         Hartford went a perfect 16-of-16 in clears; Manhattan had mishaps in two clearing opportunities, going 13-of-15

·         Penalized five times in the first three quarters, the Hawks' man-down unit did not concede a goal to the Jaspers; in the final quarter, though, Manhattan scored on 2-of-4 of its extra-man opportunities

·         Hartford went 2-of-4 on man-up opportunities 

NEWS AND NOTES: 

·         Redshirt-senior midfielder Adam Yee compiled a career-high seven points against Manhattan, scoring three times and assisting on four other goals

·         Yee's hat trick is the second of his career; he now has 28 career points

·         Eight other Hawks recorded goals in the win with five players scoring their first career goals

·         Senior Ty Schuldt also had a hat trick, the second of his career, while adding an assist for four points

·         Senior defender Brian Monks enjoyed a career day with 11 ground balls and three caused turnovers, both team-best numbers

·         Freshman midfielder Dylan Protesto outlasted his opponent at the faceoff X for the second-straight game, winning 10-of-14 duels today against the Jaspers' Alex Karlis

·         Hartford improves to 3-1 all-time against Manhattan with the win

·         The Hawks' victory was their largest since 2012, when they took down Wagner, 24-4, at home on March 24, 2012

UP NEXT:
Hartford remains home for its next game on Wednesday as it hosts the Brown Bears. With faceoff set for 3:30 p.m., the Hawks will look to end a two-game skid against the Bears.