After a dominating victory in its season opener March 3, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team is looking for a repeat performance in its first home game of the year Saturday when it hosts Hartwick College.
 
SUNY New Paltz rattled off 22 goals on the road against Elmira College in its season opener. Eight different players found the back of the net, including six who scored two or more. Freshman attacker Tara Bovich led the charge for the Hawks, as she netted all eight of her shots in her collegiate debut. Junior midfielder Rachael Purtell wasn't too far behind, registering four goals and an assist in the win.
 
"In our first game against Elmira we really came out hard," said Hawks senior attacker Kayla Massena, who tallied two goals and an assist against the Soaring Eagles. "Things that we really focused on were getting people open from all areas. We weren't really dodging from one area. We were dodging from everyone around the 8 [meter]."
 
Hartwick College, which will open up its season against SUNY New Paltz, defeated the Hawks last year in a tight, 11-10, game in Oneonta. But, Hartwick College graduated its top point and goal-scorer from a year ago — Lauren Rosenberg — who had led the team with four goals in the game to help propel the win. This season, Hartwick College boasts seven new faces on the roster and will return five players who started all 16 games in 2017.

"I think Hartwick is going to come in confident since they beat us last year," said SUNY New Paltz sophomore defender Jahna Beiling. "I think they're going to over-estimate us. We're really motivated coming in and I think we're going to get the lead early, and keep it early."
 
SUNY New Paltz's offense was highlighted during its season opener, but the Hawks defense also played well in their first game of 2018, letting up just six free positions and 18 shots overall. SUNY New Paltz's defense is heading into its second outing with confidence, but is also looking to improve and play more settled and consistent on that side of the restraining line.
 
"Defensively in our first game... we kind of let the team dictate what we wanted to play, so I think it kind of took away from what we usually play defensively," Beiling said. "So, this time we're definitely going to stick to our kind of defense, staying under control, have team defense and have each other's back."
 
Putting together a balanced game will be key for SUNY New Paltz against Hartwick College, as the hosting Hawks are looking forward to a little redemption against the visiting Hawks. As Massena added, it would only make the win sweeter that it is at home where they hope to improve on a modest, 3-5, record from a year ago.
 
"It is absolutely important [to get the home-opening win], especially because last year we did lose to Hartwick," she said. "So not only win, but win on our home turf and take back that title. Because there is definitely only one awesome Hawk team and I think that we are going to make that statement on our home field, which is going to be a pretty cool feeling."
 
SUNY New Paltz is slated to take on Hartwick College on the North Turf Field at 1 p.m. Be sure to follow @nphawks on Twitter and @newpaltzhawks on Instagram and Facebook for updates, highlights, videos, photos and more.