Box Score

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Sophomore midfielder Lianne Valdivia (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) scored six goals on eight shots, as the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team (2-0) posted a 19-7 non-conference victory over Smith College (0-3) on Thursday afternoon. Valdivia is now tied for the program record for goals in a single game with six other performances.

Beyond Valdivia, sophomore midfielder Carissa Citro (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) and senior attack player Erin Tornatore (Glen Cove, N.Y./North Shore) scored four goals each. Sophomore midfielder Fatima Ismail (Red Hook, N.Y./Red Hook) and junior attack player Talia Tesler (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) added a pair of markers apiece, while sophomore midfielder Julia Johnson (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) scored once. Citro and Johnson also chipped in with an assist each. Tornatore scooped up four ground balls and controlled four draws, while Johnson corralled eight draw controls.

For Smith, Jessica Lillquist led the way with three markers, while Jenny Estes and Petru Bester each scored twice. Estes added an assist to her statistical line, while Lillquist had five draw controls and two ground balls. Sabine Milger came up with four ground balls.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Ulanoff (Northport, N.Y./Northport) earned the win, making five saves, while her counterpart, Savannah Lawson, made eight stops in the loss.

New Paltz held a 36-15 edge in shots, but it went just 1-of-7 on clear attempts. Smith converted two of its three clear attempts. Both teams collected 10 ground balls, while New Paltz owned a 16-12 advantage in draw controls.

The Hawks set the tone early, hopping out to a 9-0 lead. Valdivia capped the rally with a goal 4:05 before the first half's final whistle. Smith went on a three-goal tear, scoring three times in under a minute, but New Paltz answered with back-to-back markers from Tesler and Valdivia. Estes found the back of the net with 1:18 left on the clock, while Tesler provided the 12-4 halftime margin with 34 seconds remaining.

Lillquist opened scoring just 18 seconds into the second stanza before Tornatore scored the first of seven straight Hawk markers, the last of which came from Johnson with 12:46 left in regulation. New Paltz took its foot off the gas pedal in the final third of the period, and Smith scored twice more to provide the final tally of 19-7.

New Paltz next returns to action on Tuesday, March 19, as it visits the University of Scranton for a 3 p.m. non-conference game.