Box Score New Paltz, NY — Despite getting down in a 2-0 hole against visiting St. Lawrence University Sunday, the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey showed its resiliency to quickly erase the deficit, answering with four-straight goals to propel the eventual, 6-3, victory.
 
"As far as being resilient that is what you want to see from your team," said Hawks coach Shanna Szablinski. "They were able to play through those mistakes and they did a great job. It just shows that they're making the best out of their opportunities and they're using their mistakes to continue to grow and play good hockey as time goes. That is a mental thing and they did a good job with it."
 
Kaitlyn Gunter got the rally started for SUNY New Paltz, dribbling through the Saints defense and slicing a shot past the goalie for the score.
 
Ten minutes later, freshman Jessica Ascenao got her productive afternoon started by tying up the score at two with about 12 minutes left in the first half. Samantha Ackerman played in the corner to Ascenao, who lined up and ripped a shot from atop of the circle that deflected into the back of the net for the goal.
 
"When we were down by two right in the beginning we felt like we needed to come back and we done it before in the last game," said Ascenao. "We just really wanted to do it again. We wanted to come out of this weekend with two wins and open up the right way."
 
The Hawks were determined to take control of the game and just three minutes after Ascenao knotted up the score, they got back on their offensive end and earned a penalty stroke, which Ascenao stepped up and calmly placed in the left side netting for the goal.
 
"Jessie is just so controlled and poised. She understands the game really well and you can see it on the field how she controls the backfield and she can control possession," Szablinski said. "She comes from one of the best teams in the country [Lakeland High School] and had excellent coaching throughout her playing career. She provides us with a whole other level of awareness that you don't usually see in a younger player."
 
St. Lawrence added one more to cut SUNY New Paltz's lead to one before the end of the half, but that was all the Hawks defense let up the rest of the way.
 
Ackerman assisted Ascenao on the corner and the freshman again took a shot that deflected into the cage for her third goal of the day, giving her team some relief with a two-goal cushion.
 
"It feels really good," said Ascenao, "Because I am able to help my team out even as a freshman and I want to keep working with them and hopefully advance far this season."
 
The Hawks were playing with a 5-3 lead for most of the final 35 minutes. St. Lawrence threatened midway through with back-to-back corners, but SUNY New Paltz's defense remained firm and did not allow a shot on either of the chances and held possession on its offensive end the rest of the game.
 
"I just think at the start of the game defensively in our circle we just were frazzled. I thought as time went on we got more organized and we not only focused on what our role was, but we were able to focus on the play," Szablinski said. "Making the appropriate adjustments, not doing the same thing over and over again and it not working, they adjusted and made the necessary corrections in order to gain possession and keep control in the game. We did a great job of that."
 
Croteau added one more goal for the Hawks with less than two minutes to play to solidify the 6-3 outcome and the team's second-straight victory.
 
 SUNY New Paltz out-shot the Saints, 18-7, and also held the advantage on corners (9-7). Jamie Owens started the game for the Hawks and made one save in 12 minutes, 48 seconds. Ryan Dowling played the rest of the match and picked up two stops after conceding just one goal.
 
Ascenao led the team with three goals on three shots, while Croteau finished with two goals on seven shots, followed by Gunter who added a score on four shots and Ackerman added two assists in the win.
 
Szablinski had high praise for the freshman, Ascenao, who had a breakout performance in just her second collegiate game.
 
"She just did a tremendous job in the backfield and she created a lot of opportunities for us on our transition, as well as holding down the middle and taking away opportunities for St. Lawrence," Szablinski said. "She was tremendous today and for a freshman to play like that you're just going to see great things as time goes."
 
The Hawks hope to make it three-straight wins Thursday when they hit the road to take on No. 10 Montclair State University. To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.