Box Score Oneonta, NY – With about seven minutes remaining in double overtime Friday night, the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team earned its 10th penalty corner of the game. Freshman Jessica Ascencao had already capitalized once on the set play and with home field advantage on the line she came through once again.

Hawks freshman Shannon Bernhardt stepped in to take the corner and sent a perfect pass to Ascencao, who ripped a shot from just inside the top of the circle, which flew past SUNY Oneonta goalkeeper Danell Jones and into the net to give SUNY New Patlz the, 2-1 road victory. 

"Today the team played together and with urgency," said Hawks coach Shanna Szablinski. "Our ball movement and anticipation off ball opened up the field and created multiple opportunities in our attacking end. Our defense stayed poised and continued to protect the circle."

The win clinched SUNY New Paltz home field advantage through the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) playoffs after earning the top seed. First round of playoffs is scheduled for Oct. 31 with SUNY New Paltz taking on the No. 4 seed, which will be decided after Saturday's slate of games.

Despite out-shooting the Red Dragons 16-9, the Hawks were looking at a one goal deficit with 20 minutes remaining in regulation following a penalty stroke goal. Carissa Warren stepped up and lifted her shot top right corner just past SUNY New Paltz goalkeeper Ryan Dowling (three saves) to give her team the lead.

However, the Hawks responded with just more than seven minutes remaining in the second half.

SUNY Oneonta had trouble getting the ball out of their zone, as SUNY New Paltz pressed hard to win the ball back in its offensive half, which resulted in Kaitlyn Gunter earning a penalty corner for the Hawks. Samantha Ackerman played the ensuing corner in to Ascencao, who fired a shot from the top of the circle that deflected over the shoulder of Jones and into the net.

"Jessie was a rock star," Szablinski said of the freshman who leads the team with 12 goals. "She is so talented and brilliant, and plays with complete composure."

Regulation ended with the score tied at one, leading to extra time and Carly Croteau had a prime opportunity to end the game a few minutes in. Running on to a through ball, Croteau beat her defender and caught Jones off her line. Croteau got past Jones, but couldn't corral the ball well enough to get a good look and sent a ball across the cage, which SUNY Oneonta picked up and cleared away from danger.

It was then the Red Dragons' turn for a scoring opportunity with about two minutes left in the first overtime, but Dowling came out big to make the 1-v-1 save to preserve the tie. Oneonta generated back-to-back dangerous scoring opportunities, but Dowling was there to make the save on both occasions with the rebound going inches from the cage and out of bounds.

The Hawks answered with a counter-attack the other way and nearly ended the game. Croteau played a ball across to Jackie Kanapes who nearly slipped it past Jones. But, the SUNY Oneonta goalkeeper ran out and made a nice stop to get enough of a deflection to keep the ball out of the cage, ultimately leading to a second overtime period.

Seven minutes remaining in the second overtime, the Hawks earned another corner. With Ackerman out, Bernhardt stepped in to take the set play and sent a nice pass across to Ascencao, who took a touch and ripped her shot past Jones for the game-winning goal.

"Just very proud of our team and the way we conducted ourselves on the field," Szablinkski said. "Moving forward this is the momentum we need."

Although SUNY New Paltz is done with conference play until the start of the SUNYAC tournament, it still has two non-conference games left in the regular season, starting with Kean University Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

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