No. 13 Hobart soccer was handed its second conference loss of the season Saturday, falling to Clarkson 4-0 at Cozzens Field. The Statesmen dropped to 8-2 overall and 2-2 in Liberty League play, while Clarkson improved to 5-3-2 and 1-2-1.
Hobart created the first opportunity of the match in the fifth minute when Griffin Coutts sent a shot from the top of the 18-yard box just over the crossbar. Clarkson answered three minutes later, with Noah Hermanson collecting a loose ball and beating goalkeeper Jake Hans for his first goal of the season.
The Golden Knights doubled their advantage in the 14th minute when Zach Ruthfield intercepted a clearing attempt and chipped a shot over Hans and into the open net.
Hobart had another chance shortly afterward, but Clarkson goalkeeper Ian Burgos denied Coutts inside the box. The Statesmen then faced an even greater challenge when they were issued a red card in the 39th minute, forcing Hobart to play the final 51 minutes a player down.
Hobart had an opportunity to cut into the deficit early in the second half, but Burgos stopped Quinn Phillips’ penalty kick in the 49th minute.
Clarkson extended its lead in the 62nd minute when Matt Gatchell scored his first goal of the season following a sequence that began with Burgos making a save on a Coutts free kick. Ruthfield added his second goal eight minutes later to complete the scoring.
Hobart finished with a 16-14 advantage in shots, but Clarkson held an 8-6 edge in shots on goal. Hans made two saves before Finn Connaughton took over for the final 18 minutes.
Hobart will return to action Sunday when it hosts No. 22 Cortland at Cozzens Field at 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.