WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford Men's Lacrosse team hosts the Conference of New England (CNE) tournament for the first time on Saturday, April 26th, when they take on the University of New England at 3:00 PM.
No. 3 University of Hartford Hawks (9-6, 6-2 CNE)
No. 6 University of New England (8-9, 3-5 CNE)
Game Headlines:
Hartford will host its first conference playoff game since 2011. This season is the first season the Hawks have been able to compete in the CNE Tournament. The UNE Nor'easters come back to Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium after getting trounced by the Hawks, losing 14-5.
Hartford Headlines:
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The Hawks ended the regular season one win away from double-digits, a feat that was last achieved in 2016. Hartford has cruised through conference play in 2025, finishing with a 6-2 record and out-scoring their CNE opponents by 21 goals.
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Offensively, the team is led by sophomore Aidan Ezra (New Milford, Conn.) who finished the year with 43 points on 25 goals and 18 assists. Sophomore Michael Novotny (Cornwall, N.Y.) has also been on an offensive tear, leading the team with 31 goals coupled with seven assists. Alongside the duo of sophomores, two-time CNE Rookie of the Week, freshman Shawn Wright (Frederick, Md.) is a player to keep an eye on entering the CNE Playoffs.
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Defensively the Hawks are led by sophomore Ben Costanzo (Chester, Conn.) who has been a staple all year long, leading the team with 77 ground balls. Alongside Costanzo, the defense has seen major contributions from the captain duo of junior Tobias Ballester (Westwood, N.J.) and senior captain Nick DiDomizio (Cheshire, Conn.). Ballester tallied 48 ground balls and caused 15 turnovers while DiDomizio logged 30 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers of his own.
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In net, sophmore CJ Ledwick (Southington, Conn.) has made a name for himself this season making 158 saves for Hartford in 14 starts. The Conference took notice to Ledwick's dominance as he earned not one, not two, but three CNE Defensive Player of the Week Awards for his play.
University of New England Headlines:
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UNE travels to West Hartford for the second time with a 8-9 overall record and a 3-8 record on the road. The Nor'easters are led by head coach Charlie Burch in his 12th season at the helm. UNE is 92-93 overall and 35-63 in conference during his tenure.
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On the offensive end, the Nor'easters are led by a brotherly duo in Shea and Stephen Fogarty. Shea registered 26 goals and 16 assists on the year while Stephen tallied 22 goals and seven assists.
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Evan Hazard led the way for UNE in the net, who has made 223 saves in his 17 games for the sixth seed.
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As a team, New England scored 8.41 goals per game while allowing 10.82 goals to their opposition per contest.
All-Time Against University of New England:
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Hartford touts a 2-0 record against the University of New England, taking both match ups convincingly by the scores of 8-1 last season and 14-5 earlier this year. Back in April of '24 the Hawks tamed the storm for the first time as Ezra and Ojert led the way, combining for two goals apiece.
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