Box Score
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Early on, it was clear that Sunday's women's soccer game between Hartwick and Bard was not going to satisfy those who love the artistry of soccer.

Whoever was going to win this game was going to have to fight, scratch, claw, dive, get up, dive again and get up again. No passes went uncontested, nearly every 50-50 ball ended with a collision of some kind, and it had the look of a battle of attrition as the day wore on.

Then, in the midst of all the grunt work, grabbing, elbowing and chatter came a thing of beauty.

Freshman Avalon Qian took a pass from Mady Calhoun at the corner of the box, worked toward the middle with a defender on her hip, and chipped a beautiful shot over the head of Hartwick keeper Annie Millar (Ilion, NY) and just inside the far post. That gave Bard a 1-0 lead in the 70th minute, and that's all the Raptors would need to win their second in a row and improve to 3-2-1.

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It was Bard's first win over Hartwick after losing to the Hawks in each of the last four years.

The battle resumed as it was after the goal, and Hartwick (3-2-0) didn't really threaten until the final minute, when they got a couple of balls into the box, the last one caught on the fly by Bard keeper Kelsey O'Brien amidst a sea of bodies as the horn sounded.

The Raptors had the edge in the first half in terms of possession, and they outshot Hartwick 8-3 with six corners to none, but it didn't produce anything particularly threatening. The Hawks responded in the second half, outshooting Bard 6-3, but that includes 5-0 after the goal was scored. The Hawks pushed forward and created some chances, but nothing that worked. In the end, it was hard work and one beautiful goal that won it for the Raptors in their home opener.

O'Brien made five saves and Millar made four.

Bard is back on the road at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday night. You can follow that game via Live Stats right here.