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NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The top-seeded State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team (16-4) continued its magical season on Saturday afternoon in the 2012 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Field Hockey Tournament final, as the Hawks won a shootout, 2-0, en route to a 2-1 win over third-seeded SUNY Cortland (9-8). The victory, which was New Paltz's 10th straight, gave the Hawks their first-ever SUNYAC title and a berth into the 2012 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament.

In addition to the league title, it marked New Paltz's first-ever win over Cortland. The game also was significant in that it was the first SUNYAC Field Hockey Tournament contest to go to a shootout. Cortland and SUNY Oneonta went into overtime in last year's conference championship contest, but the game ended in the first overtime period.

Junior goalkeeper Antonija Pjetri was named the Tournament MVP, while senior defender/midfielder Kim Lepore (Stanfordville, N.Y./Stissing Mountain), junior defender Madeliene Forrester (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland), senior defender Amy Lee (Farmington, Conn./Farmington) and junior defender Alyssa Stock (Morris Plains, N.J./Whippany Park) all joined her on the All-Tournament Team. The remainder of the All-Tournament Team included Liz DeWaters, Abbey Wentlent and Brianna Petronio from Cortland; Ashley Morgan and Stephanie Fiske from Oneonta; and Dayna Mercer and Katie Farley from SUNY Geneseo.

Junior midfielder Lauren Link (Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West) began the shootout by scoring at the last second, while Cortland's Brianna Petronio was denied by Pjetri to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Both teams were unable to score during the next two rounds, but a goal by Lee put the Hawks up 2-0. Needing a goal to keep the shootout going, Sara Woodward was unable to score, and New Paltz pulled out the 2-1 win.

Cortland dominated the first half, taking 13 shots to New Paltz's one. While the Red Dragons were kept off the board, a penalty corner with time expired gave Cortland one last chance to take the lead heading into halftime. Danielle Groneman netted her first goal of the season after taking a Wentlent feed that came from the right, and the Red Dragons ended the half up 1-0.

New Paltz came back in the second half, with sophomore midfielder Deirdre O'Neill (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South) scoring off a penalty corner in the 51st minute to level the tally. That goal came after three straight penalty corners for the Hawks. Neither team had a real chance on offense in the final few minutes of the second half until Katie Barbagallo had a shot blocked with eight seconds remaining.

In the opening minutes of the first overtime period, each team put a shot on goal, but Pjetri and her counterpart, Amanda Perricone, both made saves to keep overtime going. Perricone and Pjetri each made two more saves in the stanza, and the two sides were deadlocked at 1-all after an additional 15 minutes of play.

Cortland upped the offensive pressure in the second overtime period, taking six shots and three penalty corners. Conversely, New Paltz was held without a single shot in the frame. The Hawks, however, were able to keep the Red Dragons from scoring, and that forced a shootout to decide the game-winning goal.

For the contest, Cortland outshot New Paltz, 25-12, and the Red Dragons took 12 penalty corners to the Hawks' nine.

Pjetri was dominant throughout the game, making 13 stops throughout regulation and overtime before holding the Red Dragons scoreless in the shootout. Perricone was equally as impressive, turning aside eight shots in a full 100 minutes of work. Emily von Schondorf was charged with the loss for Cortland, as she entered the game for the shootout and permitted both of New Paltz's shootout scores.

Seeding for the 2012 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament will be announced officially on Monday, Nov. 5. This will mark New Paltz's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.