Tanagers Ride Motivation to Win Over NDBG

By Keith Harrington

The Hartford boys soccer team was feeling a bit disrespected after not earning a top four seed in the Section II Class D Tournament. Feeling like the game should have been contested on their home pitch, the Tanagers made the trip to Schenectady with a chip on their shoulders.

Fueled by that motivation #5 Hartford took command right from the start and blanked #4 Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 3-0 in the Class D quarterfinals Saturday afternoon. Hartford is the only Adirondack League team still alive in sectional play.

Ray Harrington got the Tanagers out to a 1-0 lead in the first half. Nate Fiske skipped a pass off his head to Harrington who distributed the ball in the right hand corner.

Hartford extended their lead to 2-0 in the 12th minute when Cody Baker served a perfectly placed corner kick into the box that Drake Stewart headed past Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons goalie Andrew Baaki.

The Tanagers struck again in the 34th minute. Baker fired a deep shot from 30 yards out that got over the hands of the fully extended Baaki to make it 3-0 at the half.

The defense took over from there. Hartford's back line and goalie Austin Wells held off the Knights the rest of the way.

Wells recorded the shutout with four saves for Hartford.

Hartford advances to meet top seeded Northville Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at LaSalle.

Hartford is now 11-4 on the season. Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons ends the season 9-8.