Box Score

MADISON, N.J. – Head coach Shanna Vitale made history in the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team's (1-0) 2011 season debut, as she now stands alone as the program's all-time wins leader with 18 on her career after the Hawks downed Cabrini College (0-2), 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Drew Field Hockey Fall Festival.

New Paltz relied on stellar defensive play to propel itself past Cabrini, as junior defender/midfielder Kim Lepore (Stanfordville, N.Y./Stissing Mountain) and sophomore defender Madeliene Forrester (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) registered a defensive save apiece to go along with sophomore goalkeeper Antonija Pjetri's (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) seven-save shutout performance in the cage.

Senior forward Stacey Miller (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) put the Hawks on the board early, scoring unassisted on a one-on-one breakaway at 6:45. After controlling the ball in their half of the field for nearly 20 minutes, sophomore midfielder Lauren Link (Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West) pushed the score out to 2-0 after she tipped in a pass from the top of the circle. This goal forced a goalkeeper change for the Cavaliers, as they put Genevieve Paulin into the game to replace starter Vicky King.

After that score, Cabrini put two shots on goal before time expired in the first stanza, and the Hawks took a 2-0 lead into the break.

New Paltz dominated play for the first few minutes of the opening half before Stephanie Campanaro put a shot on frame that Pjetri turned away. Sophomore midfielder/forward Danielle Conklin (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) nearly scored in the 51st minute, but her three shots put on goal in the span of six seconds were pushed aside by Paulin.

Cabrini uncorked six shots from 60:32 to 62:01, forcing four Pjetri stops and a defensive save by Lepore. After Campanaro's shot was blocked, the Hawks were able to get the ball to the other end of the field, and Miller spelled out the final tally with a goal off of a loose ball from up top at 63:40, marking her second score of the game.

On the afternoon, New Paltz outshot Cabrini, 22-13, but both sides registered seven penalty corners each.

Pjetri was credited with the win in between the pipes for New Paltz, while King shouldered the defeat for Cabrini. Paulin made seven saves in 46:11 coming off the bench.

New Paltz faces host Drew University in the Drew Field Hockey Fall Festival championship game tomorrow at noon. Last season, the Hawks lost a tough 2-1 decision to the Rangers in double overtime when the two squads met at the Turf Field in New Paltz, N.Y.