HAMILTON – A 51st-minute goal from senior Ethan Kutler and a strong defensive effort led the Colgate men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Central New York rival Hartwick Wednesday afternoon at Beyer-Small '76 Field in the Raiders' final nonleague game of the season.
 
Senior keeper Ricky Brown made five saves in goal to help guide the Raiders to their seventh shutout of the season as Colgate handed Hartwick just its second loss of the season.
 
The Raiders threatened right away with two shots, one of which was stopped by Hartwick keeper Lenny Wilson, in the opening minute. Junior Jared Stroud had a pair of glittering chances in the opening half, but Wilson was there to make diving saves. Kutler also came up with a few quality chances, but his attempts flew over the crossbar. The Raiders controlled possession for a majority of the opening half, finishing the frame with an 11-3 shot advantage as the game went to halftime scoreless.
 
Kutler was able to capitalize just over five minutes into the second half when he made a long run down the right side and sent a ball into the far post side netting past a stretched out Wilson to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute.
 
The Raider defense withstood two Hartwick corner kicks and a shot in the next few minutes. Colgate kept up the offensive pressure the rest of the way, threatening the Hawks with five shots over the following 20 minutes, including a head from sophomore Ben Snider that skidded just inches over the crossbar.
 
Brown made two big saves in the final five minutes to preserve Colgate's 1-0 lead and secure the Raider victory.
 
BOTTOM LINE

• Colgate 1, Hartwick 0

 
WON-LOST RECORDS

• The Raiders improved to 9-4-1 on the season.
• Hartwick saw its nine-game unbeaten string end as the Hawks fell to 7-2-3.

 
KEY RAIDER INFO

• Kutler's goal was his fourth of the season. It brings his career total to 27, which is tied for fourth all-time in the Colgate record books. His 69 career points puts him in third place all-time.
• The shutout marked Brown's sixth clean sheet of the season. It brings his career total to 15 shutouts, which stands in fourth place in Colgate's career leaderboard.
• Stroud and sophomore Uyi Omorogbe tallied a team-best 2 shots on goal apiece.

FACTS & FIGURES

• The Raiders finished the game with an 18-10 shot advantage and 8-5 shot on goal edge.
• Both teams finished with three corner kicks apiece.
• Brown made five saves in goal compared to Wilson's seven.

FROM THE SOURCES

• Colgate head coach Erik Ronning (On the win): "It was a great effort by our guys. I'm really proud of the way we started and how we maintained that pressure throughout the entire first half, and how we finished. We had to grind it out in the end there but that's what happens when you play really quality opponents all the time. Hartwick's really good and you knew they were going to throw everything they had at us and it was going to be tight near the end. I'm just proud of our guys' resolve and the way they fought."

Listen to the rest of Coach Ronning's comments HERE.
 

• Colgate senior forward Ethan Kutler (On returning to action): "Fantastic! Happiest day of the year so far."

(On his goal): "I was fortunate that the defender stepped to my right. He kind of dove in and it gave me an opportunity to get in behind. So I just put my head down, took a couple of touches and buried it far post."
 
Listen to the rest of Kutler's comments HERE.
 
UP NEXT

• The Raiders remain home Saturday to take on Navy at Beyer-Small '76 Field.
• The program's seven seniors will be honored prior to the game on Senior Day.
• Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and all information on how to follow can be found at Game Central.