WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Hartford women's soccer team are the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Champions for the second year in a row after defeating Springfield College on Sunday afternoon by a 6-0 final. 

Rapid Recap:

• The Pride were the first of the teams to strike first at the net off the foot of Jen Walker, but the shot was blocked by the Hawks in the opening minutes. Graduate student May Cervone (Milford, Conn.) struck back putting the first dangerous play for the Hawks into action sending her shot just over the crossbar. The Hawks challenged the Pride's keeper early with back-to back shots by both graduate students Imani Jenkins (Middletown, Conn.) and Christina Stone (Glastonbury, Conn.) Taryn Ryan held strong in goal maintaining a 0-0 score. In the 23rd minute of play, the Hawks had a set-piece almost at midfield when junior Lindsey Metcalfe (Palos Verdes, Calif.) lined up to take the kick, Metcalfe found the head of Stone as she sent the ball to the top-right corner to give the Hawks the lead. Springfield's Mia Salmon fired a shot at junior Sejal Johnson (Weddington, N.C.) off of a fast break, but Johnson collected this ball. Jenkins fed Stone a running pass to left of the box in the 33rd minute, Stone would slip the ball across the net to find junior Mayson Massaro (Sarasota, Fla.) who tapped in the next Hawk score. The Hawks stayed aggressive in Springfield's half with shots by Cervone and senior Juliana Chiarella (Hampden, Mass.) within seconds of each other both stopped by Springfield keep Ryan. Jenkins next took on not one, but three defenders scoring Hartford's third goal of the match in the 39th minute of the opening championship half. The game remained exciting until the final minutes of the half with a final corner for the Hawks; the teams battled in the box but resulted from a clearance by the Pride's defensive line. The Hawks headed into halftime with an impressive 3-0 lead over Springfield.
• Freshman Angela Chavez (Glastonbury, Conn.) kicked off the second half with a powerful shot that just caught the cross bar saving the Pride from starting the half conceding a goal. Springfield in the 51st minute had their best chance in the match as they launched a corner into the box, but  Johnson battled a few offenders out of the box in a scramble. Springfield's keeper was next to protect the net as Jenkins drove the ball to the top corner of goal , but Ryan punched it wide for a Hawks corner. Outside back Cervone took a chance to claim a goal of her own this half as she sent the ball to the bottom right corner of the net, making Ryan stretch to clear this ball off the goal line. Sophomore Kathleen Brush (Wethersfield, Conn.) used some sly footwork to beat a few defenders in the box and then perfectly placed the ball into the top left corner extending the lead to 4-0 in the 71st minute of play. The two teams found themselves in some foul trouble in the next ten minutes trading tackle for tackle. Sophomore Morgan Egan (East Granby, Conn.) entered the match in the 84th minute, within 55 seconds of her play she found the back of the net off of skillful feed from Jenkins and Cervone. The Hawks are known for scoring in a clusters and they held true as just after Egan's goal the Hawks earned a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Chiarella was the Hawk to punch this ball home to the right bottom corner as the Hawks clinched the ECAC Championship.

Post Game Press:

"I think it's my teammates that make me look really good, we have a team where everyone contributes," said graduate student Christina Stone (Glastonbury, Conn.) "I really do have the best teammates. This feeling is amazing, I don't think that I have fully processed the win yet. I am so grateful for this experience and extra year that I have been able to play and I am going to miss these girls and miss playing on this field."

"I have been striving for a goal all season as it is my last season so when we got the penalty everyone including me wanted me to be the one to take it," said senior Juliana Chiarella (Hampden, Mass.), "winning back to back ECAC Championships on top of a CNE tournament win feels amazing, it is bittersweet and I am super sad to be leaving the sport but I am happy that I could end it on the highest note as I could."

"This experience has been indescribable, this has been an amazing journey, our team has worked so hard on the field and it feels great that it is paying off," said graduate student Imani Jenkins (Middletown, Conn.) "I feel so grateful that I got to spend not only one last season here but to win the CNE championship and another ECAC championship feels awesome. I don't think I have processed all that I have accomplished here yet but I do just feel so grateful, there is just something special about our team, the team culture that has just been the thing to make me into the player I am. It is not just me that the records or goals speak for it is everyone on this team that has allowed me to even do that." 

Inside the Numbers: 

• The Hawks conclude the year with a 16-3-2 record, including a 12-game winning streak to end their season as two-time ECAC Champion.
• The Hawks finish the ECAC tournament outscoring opponents 11-0 and have not conceded a goal since October 23rd.
• Juliana Chiarella, Imani Jenkins and May Cervone were named to the all-tournament team and graduate student Christina Stone wins the MVP honors. 
• Jenkins scored her 27th goal of the 2024 season in today's championship along with set up her team with three assists.
• Stone added three assists to her season total of 25, and a school record career-high of 50 assists. 
• Chiarella claimed her first goal of her senior season in today's match-up.
• Johnson continued her streak of six straight shut-outs for Hartford and finalized a total of 13 on the season. 

Season Recap:
The Hawks ended the year winning the Conference of New England (CNE) regular season championship, CNE Tournament Championship, and the ECAC Championship.

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