WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Hartford women's defeated Suffolk University this Wednesday evening to conclude their regular season of play with a 16-6 win. The Hawks finish 10-6 overall and 7-3 in the Conference of New England (CNE). Now, the Hawks are heading into playoff play this upcoming weekend. 

Rapid Recap:

• Hartford set the tone early as sophomore Kate Zonin (North Smithfield, R.I.) opened the scoring within the first two minutes of play. Off strong draw control play from  junior Lauren Samela (Cheshire, Conn.), the Hawks quickly built momentum. Samela finished off a feed from senior Sara Costa (Shrub Oak, N.Y.), and junior Laurel McIntosh (West Kingston, R.I.) added back-to-back goals, including one off a Zonin assist to cap a 4-0 run. The Rams responded late, converting on a free-position attempt and adding a a=goal in the final minute to cut Hartford's lead to 4-3 moving into the second.
• Suffolk kicked off the second quarter with an equalizer just 45 seconds in, but Hartford answered immediately with back-to-back free-position goals from Zonin to regain control at 6-4. The Hawks kept momentum behind draw control wins from Samela, as Zonin added another finish off a feed from senior Courtney Ingham (Bedford, N.H.) and Costa pushed the lead to 8-4. After a Rams' goal, Hartford closed out the first half strong with a man-up goal from junior Katie Graham (Colchester, Conn.), taking 9-5 into halftime.
• Hartford continued with their dominance and control in this third quarter, with McIntosh opening the scoring quickly in the first minute building off of Samela's draw control wins. Zonin took over, scoring twice for the Hawks and the Rams at a comfortable distance. Hartford held their lead throughout the quarter, entering the fourth up 13-6.
• The Hawks showcased their defensive talent, forcing a Suffolk clock violation on their first possession. Graham sparked the offense by finishing a feed from McIntosh to build the differential to eight with less than 10 to go. After a back and forth stretch with turnovers from both ends of the field, Hartford pulled away. Graham scored yet again from Zonin, and Samela used her draw control steam to add another to cap off the scoring. Hartford closed out the game with steady defense and possession control, securing the 16-6 victory.

Post Game Press:
"This team was very good, I remember last season that we had a tough time against them, said sophomore Kate Zonin (North Smithfield, R.I.). "So we wanted to come in with a little revenge, a little fire underneath us, and we came to play. This win brings a lot of momentum heading into Saturday, we are excited to play UNE, step on the field and show how much we have learned this season."

Inside the Numbers:

• Zonin led the Hawks with an impressive 11 points, collecting seven goals, four assists, three ground balls, adn two caused turnovers for an all around showout. She also went 3-3 in free position attempts. McIntosh and Graham each shared three goals a piece while McIntosh also tallied an assist and ground ball pick up.
• Samela was a powerhouse in the draw control tonight she won 18 of those giving her a new career high beating her last year record by 13 points. Along with her strength in the circle she also added two goals in the evening.
• In net, junior Mandi Rivard (Vernon, Conn.) put up seven saves to earn the win today.

Up Next:
The Hawks will remain at home to enter their post-season this upcoming weekend kicking it off Saturday, April 25th as they take on #5 University of New England at 3:00 p.m.

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