The State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team heads into its third home game of the week to face off against Manhattanville College, and looks to elevate its overall record of 2-2.

The Hawks saw success Wednesday after defeating Farmingdale State College, 17-7. SUNY New Paltz led the first half, but dominated the second all the while demonstrating strong communication and teamwork, a focus the team has been concentrating on in recent weeks. The whopping 10 point score difference was proof the Hawks are an intimidating force, and was a testament to their determination to become a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)  playoff contender as conference games draw near. 

"After our win against Farmingdale we're just going in super confident," said Hawks junior defensive midfielder Jahna Beiling. "We welcome all these games. We just want to get out there and play as much as we can, especially before SUNYACs start, so we were excited to have a packed week."

SUNY New Paltz has been concentrating on tempo, feeding and cleaning up small errors that cost them their two losses thus far in the season. The Hawks have also placed a focus on staying strong throughout the game, especially in the second half, which was notably improved in the game against the Rams. Strong and constant communication is the heart of their plays, and leads the team to their success.

"We have a pretty good dynamic this season," continued Beiling. "We're a family and we're all committed to working hard and pushing each other, so our communication has been a big aspect this year, and we just have each other's backs so I think it's really going to help us moving forward."

Saturday will be the first time in two years SUNY New Paltz and Manhattanville will compete. The Hawks were triumphant in the 2017 game, outscoring the Valiants, 11-7.

The Valiants boast a 3-0 record for the 2019 season. All of their wins were defined by a large score disparity; Manhattanville dominated their season opener against Maritime College, 17-9 followed by wins against The College of Old Westbury, 12-8, and Mount Saint Mary College, 16-6. The game against SUNY New Paltz will be their first road game this year.
The Hawks and the Valiants share only one competitor, Stockton University. SUNY New Paltz fell to the Ospreys Monday, 15-4. Manhattanville has yet to face Stockton this year, but suffered a loss to the Ospreys in the previous season, 13-11.

"Of course beating Manhattanville in the past gives us some confidence, but honestly we really know what we have, and we know it's special. So no matter who we play, we go into each game confident,"said Beiling. "I think we'll just play very confident and fast and free and I think that's going to come across on saturday."

The Hawks will host the Valiants Saturday at 11 a.m. on the North Turf.

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