Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Nine different student-athletes scored for the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team, as the Hawks defeated Penn State Abington, 18-3, in New Paltz's 2016 home opener on Thursday afternoon in non-conference action at the North Turf Field.
 
In what was a total team effort from top to bottom, New Paltz scored the game's first five goals and never looked back. The Hawks answered the Nittany Lions' second goal of the game with scores form sophomore attacker Caitlyn Morris (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and junior midfielder Nicole Gottschalk (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) to open up a 12-2 lead heading into halftime.
 
The Hawks continued to pour on the offense, netting five unanswered goals before Penn State Abington's freshman midfielder Sarah Eisele scored her third marker of the game with 7:15 left in regulation. New Paltz then registered what would be the game's final goal with 5:05 left on the clock, as freshman attacker Taylor Russell (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) found the back of the net.
 
New Paltz rises to 1-2 overall with the win and next takes on Bard College on Saturday, March 12, at 1 p.m. at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, N.Y. Penn State Abington slips to 1-2 with the loss and next hosts Virginia Wesleyan College on Monday, March 21, at 4 p.m.
 
The Hawks dominated several key sections of the stat sheet, finishing with a 31-13 edge in shots and an 18-5 margin in draw controls. The Nittany Lions did, however, outgain the Hawks, 19-17, in ground balls, and Penn State Abington wound up going 15-for-17 in clears.
 
Gottschalk and junior attacker Nicole Stackpole (North Bellmore, N.Y./W.C. Mepham) provided four and three goals, respectively, while freshman midfielder Rachael Purtell (Minetto, N.Y./Oswego), junior midfielder Alexa Criollo (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills), Morris and Russell scored two goals each. Sophomore attackers Allie Imperati (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) and Kelsey Aeberli (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) and sophomore attacker/midfielder Colleen Jones (Ardsley, N.Y./Hackley School) rounded out the Hawks' goal scorers. Morris doled out a game-high two assists, while Purtell, Gottschalk, Aeberli and Russell dished out one assist each. Gottschalk showed her versatility by contributing to the defensive side of the field, too, with three caused turnovers, while sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn DeTrinis (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue), junior defender Nicole Petrullo (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) and Gottschalk each scooped up three ground balls.
 
For Penn State Abington, Eisele led the way with three goals, while sophomore defender Michaela Mast was credited with one assist. Mast also stuffed the stat sheet with five ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls.
 
Junior goalkeeper Colleen Roemer (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane) came up big for the Hawks in goal, turning aside 10 shots in the victory against just three goals allowed. Freshman goalkeeper Jill Varriano made nine saves in between the posts for the Nittany Lions.