Roberts Wesleyan University

By Connor Beagle

Former Byron-Bergen standout soccer star Mackenzie Hagen is making waves at the collegiate level. The six-year varsity soccer player and three-time sectional champion for the Bees made headlines Wednesday night for a different team. 

Hagen, now a Freshman at Division II Roberts Wesleyan University and member of the Redhawks soccer team not only collected her first collegiate assist, but also netted her first career goal for the Redhawks.

Roberts traveled to Buffalo to face conference opponent D’Youville in a must win game for the Redhawks. The Redhawks got out to a quick start, ripping shots early and often. 

Hagen had seen action in eight games prior to Wednesday night’s contest. While in those eight games Hagen had been involved in a fair amount of action, she had only recorded one shot. Wednesday night saw Hagen check into the game in the 17th minute and quickly rip off a shot just two minutes later that was ultimately saved by the Saints keeper. 

Roberts got off two more shots before Junior midfielder Larissa Johnston scored off a one-hop pass from Hagen in the 22nd minute. Hagen would finish out the half, as the Redhawks went shot for shot with D’Youville.

The second half began and it seemed like neither team could find an attack. Hagen checked back into the game in the 64th minute after sitting to start the second half. It did not take long for Hagen’s presence to be known, as she drilled a shot in the 72nd minute that was again saved by the D’Youville keeper. 

The Saints knotted the game up minutes later after a costly foul by Redhawk Sophomore defender Jenna Northup on a penalty kick by Junior Laoise O’Haodha. With the score all tied up, the Redhawks needed to make a big play quickly. That play came just seven minutes later as Jenna Northup sent a cross deep into the box to Junior defender Emma Taylor, who headed the ball to the feet of Hagen who crushed it into the back of the net, sealing the deal for the Redhawks, who also clinched a spot in the East Coast Conference tournament with the 2-1 victory and snapped a four-game skid.

Game winning goals are nothing new to Hagen, as she clinched Byron-Bergen’s third consecutive sectional championship with a game winning goal in a 4-3 overtime win against Keshequa last October.

When Roberts Head Coach Jeff Vieira was asked about Hagen’s performance, he stated: “She has been working hard throughout the season, so it was good for her to get the winning goal after all that she has been doing the past two months. For her to do it in a big moment was extra special and we hope there are many more of those moments to come.”

Three days later Hagen would score another goal in the Redhawks final home game of the season in a 3-1 loss to conference opponent Molloy University.