Box Score

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Down 4-2 with 16:40 remaining to play in regulation, the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team made both an amazing and remarkable comeback, scoring two goals to force overtime and then taking a pressure-packed shootout to upset No. 1 seed and No. 14 nationally-ranked SUNY Cortland to capture the 2013 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Field Hockey Championship, and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships for the second consecutive year.

Freshman forward Kayla McKeveny (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) was named the Tournament MVP, while senior defender Madeliene Forrester (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland), senior midfielder Alyssa Stock (Morris Plains, N.J./Whippany Park) and senior forward Danielle Conklin (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The No. 2 seeded Hawks (13-8) defeated Cortland (14-3) for the second straight year – in a second straight shootout as well – and accomplished the memorable feat with a mix of never-quit offense and spectacular goaltending by senior Antonija Pjetri (Suffren, N.Y./Suffren), who made several phenomenal saves in the second overtime and through a pair of penalty-shot sessions, to help the Hawks in their comeback victory.

If not for three huge saves in the second overtime – two of them consecutively – by Pjetri, the Hawks would have never advanced to the shootout. The first pair of saves showed exceptional athletic prowess as Pjetri slid to her left to seal off that corner of the cage after Cortland's freshman midfielder Gabrielle Stein had rifled two shots her way with just under four minutes to play. Her final masterpiece, with 13 seconds to play, saw her sprawl out full body to smother the ball against an onslaught of Cortland pressure. Pjetri made 10 saves in the contest.

The record books will chronicle that sophomore forward Dani Ackerman (Nesconset, N.Y./Nesconset) tallied the game-deciding shootout goal in the second round of the shootout, but it was a heroic team effort that catapulted the Hawks into a second straight SUNYAC title and into the coveted NCAA Division III Championships.

The game was a slugfest between two of the nation's highest scoring teams and a showcase of effective penalty corner offense as six of the game's eight goals were scored following penalty corners, including the game tying goal with just 3:32 to play when McKeveny tallied her seventh goal of the season off a failed clear by Cortland freshman goalie Maired Hourihan. There were 24 penalty corners in the contest, 14 awarded to New Paltz.

The Hawks trailed the Red Dragons 4-2 with 16:40 to play in regulation, and stormed back into the game with a goal by senior midfielder Lauren Link (Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West) at 64:24, off a nifty feed from Conklin. The Hawks dramatically forced overtime with just 3:32 to play when McKeveny tied the contest 4-4 off a penalty corner. Ackerman had her shot blocked by Hourihan -- who made seven saves in the game -- and in her attempt to clear the ball, it rifled onto McKeveny's stick. The newcomer tallied her seventh goal of the season by sliding her shot into the right corner of the goal. It was a reversal of fortunes for the Red Dragons, who advanced to Saturday's final by scoring the game-tying goal at the regulation buzzer to defeat SUNY Oneonta in overtime, 2-1, on Friday.

Both teams played the type of contest expected in a championship game and it went into intermission tied 2-2, which was fitting given the swings in momentum.

Ackerman got the Hawks on the board first, scoring her 18th goal of the season just nine minutes into the contest. Cortland answered with two straight goals, by freshman forward Gabrielle Stein and sophomore midfielder Jillian Vogl at the 19 and 27 minute marks, respectively. Conklin earned her first assist of the game with a feed to sophomore defender Jessica Caruana (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East), who sent the teams into intermission tied 2-2 after banking home a long-blast goal from top of the circle.

Cortland appeared as though it had the game in hand, racing out to a 4-2 lead with goals in the 49th and 52nd minute from senior back Erin Smith and freshman forward Alexa Sanzone.

The full NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship field will be announced on Monday.