Hawkeyes stay undefeated
with 4-1 win at Hamilton

STAFF REPORT • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

HAMILTON — Luca Gardner-Olesen got his second hat trick in four days as Cooperstown broke open a close game with a flurry of second-half goals to win a Center State Conference Division III game, 4-1, against the host Knights.

Despite Cooperstown outshooting Hamilton, 36-4, and holding a 12-4 advantage on corner kicks, the game was tied with 20 minutes to go and the Knights had their best run of the game in the 10 minutes after Will Penoyer scored with 32:34 left to tie the score, 1-1. His shot hit the far post and bounced in, giving his teammates a lift that carried over to the middle part of the half.

“I know that goal was frustrating to us,” Cooperstown Coach Frank Miosek said, “because we started the half with six shots on goal that didn’t go in, and then they get one shot and it goes in off the post. There was nothing you can do about that.”

However, Miosek praised the stamina of his team, in particular the midfielders and defenders, whom he credited with wearing down Hamilton’s players.

“I thought our endurance was great tonight,” he said.

Aidan Spencer broke the tie game with 18:24 left by taking the ball into the box and then putting a move on Hamilton goalie John Hughes for the score.

Two minutes later, Gardner-Olesen scored his second goal of the game, on a cross from Ben Agostino. Agostino, a junior striker, set up the goal by hustling for a ball in the corner and then again near the goal line, before making a great cross for his first varsity assist.

Gardner-Olesen completed the hat trick with 3:38 left in the game on a pass from Liam Spencer.

Cooperstown goalie Finn Holohan had two saves, while Hughes had 16 for Hamilton.

“He had a great game for them,” Miosek said. “A lot of those saves looked like they were going to be goals.”

Cooperstown (7-0, 4-0) will host Frankfort-Schuyler at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 23.