Box Score

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Facing a 10-8 deficit with 20:05 to play in regulation against Hartwick College (1-3) in a non-conference contest Saturday, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team (1-0) scored the game's final eight markers to prevail, 16-10. It marked the 2013 season opener for New Paltz.

Hartwick hopped out to a 2-1 lead early, but the visiting Hawks countered with four unanswered goals—two of which were scored by junior attack player Talia Tesler (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton)—to claim a 5-2 advantage. Emily Jweid and Kia Ference both tallied scores to bring Hartwick within one, but sophomore midfielders Lianne Valdivia (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and Carissa Citro (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) each found the back of the net to put the visiting Hawks on top by three with 55 seconds remaining in the first half. Ference buried her third goal of the game with 28 seconds left to provide the halftime margin of 7-5 in favor of New Paltz.

After Tesler built up an 8-5 cushion for New Paltz with the first score of the second half, Hartwick went on a six-goal tear, and Meg Luce capped the rally with an unassisted score with just more than 20 minutes left in the contest. New Paltz wound up receiving goals from junior midfielder Mariam Ismail (Red Hook, N.Y./Red Hook), Citro and Valdivia in nearly a four-minute span to swell the visiting Hawk lead to 12-10. Four more goals, which came in the form of two from senior attack player Erin Tornatore (Glen Cove, N.Y./North Shore) and one each from sophomore attack player Kelsey Healy (Central Islip, N.Y./Bay Shore) and Ismail, helped spell out the final tally of 16-10.

Valdivia led New Paltz with four goals, while Citro and Tesler offered three markers apiece. Tornatore and Ismail scored two goals apiece, while sophomore midfielder Fatima Ismail (Red Hook, N.Y./Red Hook) and Healy each chipped in one. Valdivia, M. Ismail and sophomore midfielder Julia Johnson (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) each earned an assist as well. Tornatore and Citro tied for the team-high total in draw controls with four, while Tornatore scooped up four ground balls.

For Hartwick, Ference netted a game-high five goals, and Jackie Moynihan controlled a game-high six draws. Steph Luce, the team's goalkeeper, led the squad in ground balls with three.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Ulanoff (Northport, N.Y./Northport) earned the win in between the pipes, stopping 10 shots. Her counterpart, Luce, made nine saves in the loss.

New Paltz returns to action on Thursday, March 14, as it visits Smith College for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference contest.