PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The University of Hartford men's lacrosse team competed against Johnson and Wales University on the road this Wednesday afternoon. The Hawks earned their first Conference of New England (CNE) victory of the 2026 season with a dominant 20-4 final score.

Rapid Recap:

• Hartford came out firing in the opening quarter, jumping ahead early behind two goals from junior Micheal Novotny (Cornwall, N.Y.) and another one from senior Aidan Kemp (South Orange, N.J.). After building a 3-0 lead, JWU responded with three straight goals to tie it, but the Hawks answered late in the first with scores from junior Aidan Exra (New Milford, Conn.) and junior Colin Reilly (Southington, Conn.) to take a 5-3 lead after the first.
• The Hawks pushed their advantage in a defensive second quarter, limiting JWU to just one goal. Novotny found the back of the net midway through the frame, and junior Nick Forgione (Denville, N.J.) added a late goal off a Novotny assist to send Hartford into halftime with a  comfortable 7-4 lead.
• Hartford opened up the game in this third quarter with a dominant power streak, scoring 10 unanswered goals. The Hawks found their success through forced turnovers on failed clear attempts as the Wildcats attempted to march up the field. JWU was stalled at the gates as they tried to test the Hawks and get points on the board. Hartford used their balanced attack and strong possession to fuel their 10-0 run, as multiple different Hawks contributed to extend the lead to now 17-4 moving into the final quarter.
• Similar momentum carried into the fourth as Hartford tallied three more goals, including two career first goals with freshman Thomas O'Toole (Wilbraham, Mass.) and graduate student Nick DiDomizio (Cheshire, Conn.) who primarily holds down the fort on defense. The Hawks closed things out defensively to secure a 20-4 commanding victory.

• Novotny collected six goals to contribute to the win this evening along with three assists, he also picked up two ground balls to recollect possession for the Hawks to lead them to the win. Ezra followed just behind with three goals, two assists, and one ground ball pick up. 
• The Hawks outshot the Wildcats 51-19, with 30-12 attempts on target.
• Sophomore Ian Reynolds (Queensbury, N.Y.) went 10-17 in face-offs tonight picking up seven ground balls.
• In net, junior CJ Ledwick (Falmouth, Mass.) took the win putting up 6 saves in his 45 minutes of play.

Up Next:
The Hawks will stay on the road as they take on Gordon College this upcoming Saturday, March 28th at 3:00 P.M.

For the latest information on Hartford Athletics follow the Hawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.