Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Junior attacker Caitlyn Morris (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and senior midfielder Alexa Criollo (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) each scored three goals for the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team in the Hawk's 11-7 victory over Manhattanville College in the 2017 season opener on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hawks improve to 1-0 and move on to play Bard College on Wednesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. Manhattanville drops to 0-2 and will host Centenary College (N.J.) on Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m.

The Valiants took hold of a 2-0 lead in the first half until Morris made it a 2-1 game with an unassisted goal at the 6:26 mark. Manhattanville would continue to hold the lead as time ran down but senior Nicole Gottschalk (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) kept the score close with a goal of her own with five minutes left to play. However the Valiants closed out the first half of gameplay with a 4-2 lead.

Coming out of the break, two goals by Morris and one from Criollo sent the Hawks ahead, 5-4 before junior attacker Kelsey Aeberli (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) extended the lead to 6-4 off of a feed from sophomore midfielder Rachael Purtell (Minetto, N.Y./Oswego) shortly after.

Although the Valiants managed to stay behind by one goal throughout most of the second half, a goal by Gottschalk and a free position shot by senior attacker Melissa Wagner (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) gave the Hawks a 10-7 cushion before Criollo added her third goal for the final 11-7 tally.

New Paltz outshot the Valiants, 28-19 and held a 14-12 advantage in ground balls and a 12-7 edge in caused turnovers. Both teams finished the day with 10 draw controls apiece.

Gottschalk and Morris tallied five shots each for the Hawks while Wagner, Criollo and Purtell notched four shots apiece. Senior Nicole Petrullo (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) scooped up four ground balls and caused three turnovers while freshman midfielder Jahna Beiling (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) also picked up four ground balls and caused four turnovers for the Hawks.

Freshman goalie Kendra Dansereau (Chesapeake, Va./Cape Henry Collegiate) took home the win in her collegiate debut, making four saves for New Paltz.

Junior attacker/midfielder Carly Weiss led the Valiants with three goals, two assists, six shots, scooped up four ground balls and caused two turnovers. Sophomore midfielder/defender Evaline Diaz added two goals in the loss while senior midfielder Sarah Dalsey won three draw controls.

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Cassidy took the loss in net, making five stops for the Valiants.