Box Score NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – For the first time in 12 meetings dating back to 2004, the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team knocked off Skidmore College, defeating the fifth-ranked Thoroughbreds, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game at the North Turf Field.
In addition to the historic win over a perennial powerhouse, it marks the highest-ranked opponent that the Hawks have beaten. New Paltz has now toppled two nationally-ranked foes so far this year, as the Hawks downed then-No. 11 Montclair State University, 2-1, on Sept. 9.
New Paltz rises to 6-1 with the win and opens up State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play on Friday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. at SUNY Oswego. Skidmore drops to 3-1 with the loss and visits Montclair State tomorrow for a 1 p.m. game.
It was a tale of two halves, as Skidmore entered halftime with a 14-9 advantage in shots, but New Paltz held the upper hand in the statistical category, 16-4, in the second half to finish with a 25-18 cushion on the game. The Hawks also finished with a 9-7 edge in penalty corners.
Skidmore scored early on, as sophomore forward Kayla Rose blasted a long ball from the far left-hand side of the circle into the back of the cage in the third minute to give the Thoroughbreds a 1-0 lead. Senior forward Dani DeGregory was credited with an assist on the play. Sophomore midfielder Caroline Saros made it a two-goal game in the 21st minute, cashing in on a rebound, but senior goalkeeper
Alayna Wageman (Getzville, N.Y./Williamsville North) made several big stops to keep the deficit at two.
With 4:47 left on the clock before halftime, New Paltz got on the board, as junior forward
Erin Landy (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) pushed the ball past the goal line off a feed from senior back
Jessica Caruana (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East). That 2-1 score stood up down the stretch in the period, with New Paltz starting to build momentum.
Skidmore controlled the tempo for the first 10 minutes of the second half before the Hawks were given a penalty-stroke opportunity in the 47th minute. Caruana beat the goalkeeper on the penalty-stroke attempt, and the Hawks knotted the tally at 2-all. From that point forward, the momentum was squarely in New Paltz's corner, and junior forward
Kayla McKeveny (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) poked in the go-ahead marker in the 55th minute after several Hawk shot attempts were saved by Skidmore's goalkeeper.
The Thoroughbreds' best chances at netting the equalizer came in the minutes following McKeveny's goal, as they drew two penalty corners. The Hawks, however, were able to continue pressing the ball forward, and they pulled off yet another victory over a nationally-ranked opponent.
Wageman made 11 saves in the win for New Paltz, while sophomore goalkeeper Zoe McGuire turned aside 17 shots in the loss for Skidmore.
