Utica, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's soccer team came up just short in a hard-fought 1–0 loss to the Hartwick College Hawks. Despite a strong outing from goalkeeper Tyler Barth, who tallied multiple key saves, the Wildcats couldn't find the equalizer after conceding in the 16th minute. The result moves SUNY Poly to 2-6-1 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Hartwick generated pressure early with a pair of shots in the opening six minutes before breaking through in the 17th. Kwame Amissah-Arthur finished off a setup from Devin Chandler to put the Hawks ahead 1–0.

SUNY Poly nearly responded minutes later when LaEh Soe forced a save from Hartwick keeper Jelani Usim in the 23rd. The Wildcats continued to push forward, with efforts from Marcus Cole and Owen Champion, but Hartwick's defense held firm. Barth kept his team in the match with back-to-back stops in the 25th and 28th minutes to keep the halftime margin at one.

The Wildcats came out strong in the second half, earning early corners and creating a dangerous chance in the 50th minute when JohnPaul Jerome sent a shot just wide. Barth stayed sharp, turning away attempts from Wilson Mount in the 58th minute and Hunter Bulich in the 67th.

SUNY Poly's best late look came in the 89th minute when Colby Diamond fired on target, only to see his effort cleared off the line by the Hartwick defense. Despite several late set pieces and surges forward, the Wildcats couldn't find the breakthrough and Hartwick escaped with the narrow 1–0 victory.

UP NEXT: The Wildcats will be back on home turf for a battle with cross town rival the Utica University Pioneers on October 1st at 6:00 P.M.