Hartwick sophomore to take shot at Olympics

Hartwick sophomore Bronwen Knox will take the 2006 fall semester off to train with the Australian National women’s water polo team, the Hawks announced Thursday.

Knox, who will lead Hartwick into the CWPA Eastern Championships this Saturday and Sunday at Providence, R.I., is trying to earn a spot on the 2008 Australian Olympic Team.

The Australian team has three three-month camps scheduled for 2007 at the National Institute of Sport in Canberra. Should the Hartwick captain make the Olympic team, Knox would not compete for Hartwick next season, the college announced.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, 20-year-old Knox leads Hartwick this season with a school-record 104 goals, which is ranked se[an error occurred while processing this directive]cond among NCAA Division I players. Knox finished second among NCAA D-I scoring leaders last season, with 103 goals as a freshman.

Knox is third all-time at Hartwick with 256 points in less than two seasons.

Hartwick is seeking its first NCAA D-I Tournament appearance since 2004, when the Hawks reached the national semifinals. The winner of this weekend’s CWPA Tournament earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Hartwick fell, 7-6, to Indiana in the CWPA Eastern semifinals. Hartwick opens against Harvard at 9 a.m. Saturday. If the seedings hold, No. 1 Hartwick will meet No. 4 Indiana in a semifinal rematch.

Hartwick has defeated Harvard four times this season, including a 10-4 victory last Saturday in the CWPA Northern Championship game. Knox was held scoreless for the first time in college in that game as she battled food poisoning.

Softball

Hartwick 3-5, Alfred 4-0
Hartwick split Wednesday’s Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Alfred University with a 5-0 victory in the second game.

Winning pitcher Kelsey Heider (7-10) struck out seven and walked none in a four-hitter for her second college shutout.

Katie Benak finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs for the Hawks, who scored three times in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead. Rose Cunningham (Jefferson) gave Hartwick a 1-0 advantage with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Hartwick (9-17 overall, 4-8 E8) dropped the opener, 4-3, in eight innings. The Saxons rallied from a 3-2 deficit with two out in the seventh with an RBI double from winning pitcher Heidi Brooks. Amy Plank drove in the winning run with a one-out double in the eighth.

Benak and Heider had two hits apiece for the Hawks, who visit Russell Sage today for a doubleheader.

HARTWICK 3-5, ALFRED 4-0

FIRST GAME (Eight innings)
Hartwick 002 010 00 — 3 6 2

Alfred University 101 000 11 — 4 6 3

Heider (L). Brooks (W).

SECOND GAME
Alfred University 000 000 0 — 0 4 5

Hartwick 001 301 x — 5 7 3

Mastin (L). Heider (W).

Women’s Lacrosse

Hartwick 10, Utica 8
Kelsey Campbell finished with five goals and two assists to lead host Hartwick to an Empire 8 victory.

Campbell extended Hartwick’s 6-3 halftime lead with the first two goals of the second half. Utica’s Lauren Schreiner later cut the deficit to 9-8, but the Hawks held the Pioneers (8-5, 3-3) scoreless over the final 12 minutes, 57 seconds.

Sara Thomas capped the scoring with 2:32 left. Hartwick (8-7, 2-4) won the ensuing draw and maintained possession for the final 2:32 to snap its four-game slide.

Amanda Gerich made 10 saves for the Hawks, including nine in the second half.

Hartwick plays its final regular-season game at 1 p.m. Sunday against visiting Brockport.