Hoping to secure the top seed for the upcoming America East playoffs, Stony Brook fell to Hartford 3-1, with the Hawks’ David Bernhardsson’s scoring one goal and two assists.

“I thought we started off slow,” head coach Ryan Anatol said. “We dug ourselves a hole in the first half.”

In the 27th minute, Hartford’s Mathias Axelsson played a cross 35 yards out into the box to a streaking Bernhardsson, who headed the ball past Stony Brook goalkeeper Stefan Manz, who was unable to parry the ball away.

Hartford would make it 2-0 in the 42nd minute. Bernhardsson played a corner kick to an unmarked Connor Yeaney, who had an easy tap-in.

“They were very direct,” said Anatol. “We didn’t do a good job winning the first ball and the second ball.”

Sloppy defensive play would cost the Seawolves again in the second half.

Hartford’s Atobra Ampadu, who was unmarked, received the ball in the middle of the box after a cross deflected off of Bernhardsson, and was able to chip the ball over Manz to make it 3-0 in the 56th minute.

Stony Brook’s Leonardo Fernandes got the lone goal for Stony Brook in the 59th minute on a free kick near the top of the penalty area.

Hartford first string goalkeeper Luke Citriniti was injured in the fifth minute after a collision with Stony Brook’s Berian Gobeil-Cruz. Matt McElroy was subbed in as his replacement.

Stony Brook’s Mehdi Belakehal and Will Casey, as well as Hartford’s Axelsson, were given yellow cards by referee Kenneth Henriques.

While Stony Brook failed to win the conference’s regular season title, the team’s second place finish guarantees it a home game for the playoffs, as well as a bye from the quarterfinals. They will next play either Vermont or Albany on Nov. 9th.

“The positive is, we don’t have to play in the quarterfinal game,” said Anatol. “We have a few guys banged up, so to give the guys some time to recover is good.”