Buffalo, NY -- After spending the first two periods in a nail-biting stalemate Saturday, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team pressured State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) rival Buffalo State's net and forced the Bengals goalie out before stealing back possession of the ball. Freshman Maddy Carullo capitalized on the caused turnover and slammed the ball into the goal to highlight her electrifying outing and cement the exciting overtime win for the Hawks, 12-11.

Four and a half minutes into overtime, senior attacker Taylor Russell chased the Bengals' goalie Janae Nelson out of her spot, forcing her to pass the ball off, but the frantic efforts were futile; freshman attacker Tara Bovich scooped the ground ball away from Buffalo State and passed it off to Jennifer O'Leary, who found Carullo open to make the winning shot. 

The winning goal was Carullo's eighth of the game, a career-high for the rookie, her previous being three. Carullo now joins teammates Bovich and sophomore attacker Amy Hofer as a program record holder for most goals in a single game. All three players share the record at eight goals, a feat the sophomores achieved in the 2017 season. Carullo made 11 total shots throughout the game, and scooped two ground balls. 

"We secured the win with a hard nose defensive stop at the end where Haley made a huge save before going into overtime and then a tremendous amount of will from our team," said SUNY New Paltz coach Keith Detelj. "[We] had a very composed finish in a pressure situation to polish off a good day of shooting. This was a great team win we showed a ton of grit and belief."

The beginning of the match was a good indication the Hawks would emerge with a win. Junior attacker Jennifer O'Leary scored the first goal off a feed from Hofer. Possession was granted to SUNY New Paltz after Bovich caused a turnover and stole the ground ball. Bovich was active all game long, forcing three turnovers, while registering seven ground balls on the day.

Carullo scored her first goal of the game immediately after O'Leary's, capitalzing off a feed from senior attacker Taylor Russell. The duo teamed up for four more goals before the end of the game with Russell totaling five assists in the game.

"Maddy and Taylor made a huge contribution and that was great for the team to have two more players step up on the offensive end today when needed, especially in the last few minutes of the game," said Detelj. "Our defensive unit was just as impressive with huge stops to keep momentum on our end.

Buffalo State began to catch up, but the Hawks held them off for the lead until only five minutes remained in the first period. The teams tied at five and desperation set in. A struggle for the ball ensued, and possession was flipped constantly. Senior defensive midfielder Ashley Seiter saw plenty of action during this time, most notably after causing a turnover and picking up a ground ball only to do it again seconds later to aid three of her teammates in attempts on the Bengal's goal. The efforts were a success and she assisted Carullo on a score, which tied the game at six going into halftime.

The Bengals scored the first goal of the second half, finding the momentum they lacked in the first. SUNY New Paltz was quick to retaliate; a draw control at the whistle's start led to an immediate goal by Bovich.

With each team answering goal-for-goal, Buffalo State broke the stalemate and secured a lead only for the Hawks to readjust and meet the score. Both teams strengthened their defenses and less balls found the back of the net. Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Timarky made seven saves in the second half and totaled 13 on the day. The period ended with the score knotted at 11 and the game was driven into overtime.

The Hawks upped the ante for the third period, craving another SUNYAC win. The entirety of the period was spent in Buffalo State's crease. SUNY New Paltz pressured the Bengals' goal, squeezing four unrelenting shots into the short six minutes of overtime. The anxiety created by the Hawks proved successful, forcing Buffalo State to drop the ball ultimately leading to Carullo's game-winning goal.

The victory against the Bengals is the first for the Hawks since 2012 and marks the most successful season in program history.  SUNY New Paltz's 8-3 overall record and 4-1 conference record are the highest the team has ever seen. With only half the SUNYAC season completed, the success ignites hope for more to come.

"This game was a good test to set us up for a tough opponent Geneseo," said Detelj. "Playoffs are still in our hands to make happen and during this time of the year that is a good place to be."

The Hawks will host their next game on the North Turf as they take on SUNY Geneseo on April 13 at 1 p.m. To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.