HARTFORD, Conn. -- The LIU Brooklyn women's soccer team  was handed its third straight defeat, 4-2 at Hartford on Thursday night, following a 45-minute lightning delay. The Blackbirds (1-4-1) took the initial lead and then tied the game a two apiece midway through the second half, but Hartford was able to score on a pair of corner kicks late in the game to win in the wicked weather conditions.

After having to thwart off a couple of the Hawks' attacks, the Blackbirds took the lead just twelve minutes into the game when Kimberly Butland tapped home an exceptional cross from freshman Emily Poole. It was both Butland's first goal of the season and Poole's first assist of the young season.

But the lead was short lived as Hartford scored on a header from less than six yards away by Bridgette Alexander, on a cross from Skylar Vitello. The Hawks had the lead in shots and corner kicks in the first half, but the teams were tied with only two shots on goal each at the break.

The second half started under a steady rainfall and an increasingly dark sky, as both teams had chances again. Then in the 55th minute, when an inadvertent ball in the box was deflected off of a LIU defender, giving Hartford an automatic penalty kick, which Kaila Lozada snuck in past LIU keeper Aline Allmann into the lower left corner.

The Blackbirds bounced back in the 60th minute when Poole was able to send another great pass forward to a streaking Marian Awad, who scored from ten yards out on the short side, to tie the game again at 2-2. It was Awad's team leading fourth goal of the season.

Then five minutes later again, in the 65th minute, a corner kick by Julia Carr, went right to an unmarked Gabriela Gamory who headed the ball in from point blank range, as the home team went up 3-2. The Hawks would put the game away in the 79th minute on another corner kick from close range, this time from Samantha Nelbach to Hayley Nolan.

Sophomore Maia Perez earned the win in goal for Hartford, who won their fourth consecutive game and move to 6-1 on the season.

Allmann, the Blackbirds most experienced net-minder, was back in goal for the Blackbirds after coming out early last week versus Middle Tennessee due to injury. She had two saves in the game.

BLACKBIRDS BACK AT THE BIRDCAGE
The Blackbirds will be back at home on Sunday, September 9 for a 1 p.m. tilt against Iona (2-4). The game will be streamed on NEC Front Row here.