Hanover’s Juliana Moore gave her fellow Hawks – and the entire Capital District – an early Christmas present.

  The senior scored both of Hanover’s goals against a tough Cosby team to lead the Hawks to a 2-1 Central Region field hockey semifinal victory at SportsQuest Wednesday night and earn Hanover its first trip to the state tournament.

  After falling to Maggie Walker Governor’s School 3-1, Hanover earned a road trip for the Group AAA state tournament. The Hawks faced South County at West Springfield Monday night after press deadlines.

  Hanover’s first is also a first for the Capital District. No other Capital team has reached the state tournament.

  “We worked so hard,” Moore said. “This is our first time. … I love it! It’s really good.”

  Hanover coach Sarah Bottorff savored the Hawks’ accomplishment.

  “This is a first, and this is the team to do it. It’s the best team we’ve ever had,” Bottorff said. “It says a lot about the way that these girls play and how much they love this sport to get this far.”

  Neither team scored in the first half.

  Cosby came out hard in the second half and quickly got an advantage after a Hanover player was sidelined because of a penalty. But the Hawks, shorthanded as they were, fought off Cosby’s shots and pressed their attack. Abby Bellows fed the ball to Moore, who found an opening on Titans’ left and fired the ball into the net with 27:03 left in the game.

  Cosby did not let up, and took advantage of a later Hanover penalty to tie the game on Marissa Hanks’ goal with 18:12 left.

  After that, it was a scramble. Hanover desperately fought off Cosby’s shots, but as time ran out pressed forward toward Cosby’s net. With 1:56 left, Moore worked her way through the Titans’ defense and found an opening. The sound of the ball hitting wood in the back of the goal sent Hanover’s team and fans jumping up and shouting.

  “When you get hit, you go back and hit them back,” Bottorff said. “That’s what we did, and that was enough to get us the win.”

  Moore’s performance earned some well deserved praise from her coach.

  “She’s been a three-year varsity player for us,” Bottorff said. “She’s just done a great job of getting in there and really attacking, putting the ball in the circle and putting the ball in the goal when we need her to. We really needed her to tonight.”

  Cosby coach Rachel Mead said the Titans had their share of opportunities.

  “They outplayed us,” Mead said. “We had our opportunities in the second half but didn’t capitalize on them. … It’s all about moving on the field and passing, and they were moving real well on the field and we were just kind of standing, one step behind them.”

  Bottorff said the Hawks are entering new territory as the advance to the state tournament.

  “This is only the second time that we’ve played in the regional tournament,” Bottorff said. “We don’t really know what it feels like and we don’t know what to expect. I’m just happy that we were able to pull that off.

  “There’s only so much coaching that you can do. The players have to have the heart, and I’ve got 23 hearts on this team.”

Hanover…............................. 0 2 – 2
Cosby…................................. 0 1 – 1

H – Moore (Bellows), 32nd minute
C – Hanks (Rogerson), 43rd minute
H – Moore, 58th minute
Shots – Hanover 8, Cosby 6.
Saves – Lien (H) 3, Spencer (C) 6
Records: Hanover (18-2), Cosby (15-3).