NEW PALTZ, NY – The State University of New York New Paltz women's soccer team made history Saturday afternoon, taking down No. 16 William Smith College, 1-0, to secure what is believed to be the first regular season nationally ranked victory in program history.
The Hawks were tasked with another tough non-conference matchup, welcoming the nationally ranked Herons to South Turf after William Smith entered the contest ranked No. 16 in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll. SUNY New Paltz battled for all 90 minutes, led by goalkeeper Jess Centeri, who put together another standout performance between the posts with nine saves to keep the Herons off the board. Despite William Smith controlling a majority of the offensive opportunities, the Hawks stayed composed, and their persistence paid off in the 78th minute when junior Abby Macleod found the back of the net for the eventual game-winner.
William Smith looked to establish itself early, generating the first shot of the afternoon before earning the first corner of the contest minutes later. The Herons worked their way into SUNY New Paltz territory, but the Hawks stayed composed defensively as Centeri was called into action for her first save of the afternoon.
The Hawks began generating opportunities of their own as the first half progressed, with Grace Norelius and Alyssa Deutsch testing the William Smith defense. SUNY New Paltz put three of its four first-half attempts on frame, but Herons goalkeeper Antonia Goerke kept the hosts off the board.
William Smith maintained pressure throughout the opening 45 minutes, earning five corner attempts and registering nine shots, but SUNY New Paltz refused to break. Centeri collected three saves in the half as the Hawks' back line cleared away each dangerous opportunity, sending the two teams into halftime scoreless.
The Herons came out of the break pushing for the opening goal and quickly forced Centeri back into action. William Smith generated 10 shots throughout the second half, but the Hawks keeper stood tall in net, collecting six saves over the final 45 minutes.
SUNY New Paltz continued to weather the Herons' pressure and waited for its opportunity to strike. With the contest entering its final 15 minutes still scoreless, the Hawks won possession near midfield and quickly turned defense into attack, pushing forward before working the ball into the middle of the attacking third. With William Smith scrambling to recover, Grace Norelius sent a ball through traffic toward Abby MacLeod, who capitalized on the opportunity and buried the chance to put the Hawks ahead, 1-0, in the 78th minute.
William Smith immediately searched for an answer, pushing numbers forward in hopes of finding the equalizer, but SUNY New Paltz held firm. Centeri and the Hawks' back line saw the one-goal advantage through the final whistle, completing the shutout and securing the historic victory.
"William Smith is an incredibly talented team and a program we have a tremendous amount of respect for," said SUNY New Paltz coach Brad Bolton. "To earn a win against a ranked opponent says a lot about how hard this group has worked and how much they've grown together. From day one, we've talked about putting the team first, creating a competitive environment, productive communication and having a 'not yet' mentality. Today, you could see all of that come together on the field.
"I'm incredibly proud of our players for the work they all put in and how quickly they've made it all come together. Now we get a little bit of time to recover before going into a very tough NJAC schedule."
William Smith finished with a 19-9 advantage in shots, putting nine attempts on frame compared to four for SUNY New Paltz. The Herons also held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks, but Centeri stopped all nine shots she faced to preserve the clean sheet.
The victory marks what is believed to be the first win over a nationally ranked opponent in SUNY New Paltz women's soccer program history, while handing No. 16 William Smith just its second loss of the season.
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