NEW PALTZ, NY -- It's the end of September, and the leaves are just starting to change colors, vibrantly gleaming across the campus of the State University of New York at New Paltz. The air is crisp, and fog settles above South Turf Field. Without a doubt, it is fall. But for Hawks women's soccer coach Mike Eckberg, it feels more like the holiday season.
 
"I don't know about you, but it feels like December 24 right now," Eckberg said to his team after practice on Friday. 

Coach won't be opening any presents Saturday, but his team will open State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)  play against SUNY Oneonta in a 1 p.m. game on South Turf Field. The excitement is contagious.
 
"There's a lot of energy, and everyone is really excited to get after it," said Hawks junior Jessica Levinson. "We've all been looking forward to this day since preseason. We're ready to go."
 
The Hawks enter Saturday's game with a record of 3-4-1 and have won back-to-back games for the first time since 2017 with victories over Bard and Mount Saint Vincent. The Red Dragons hold a record of 2-2-3. Most recently, they tied Skidmore 1-1 and Bard 1-1.
 
"Oneonta has always been one of our biggest competitors," said Hawks junior Kristin Lasker. "We always look forward to it because we know it's going to be such a high-energy game, and it's going to be very competitive."
 
Dating back to 2002, SUNY New Paltz has just one victory over SUNY Oneonta — a 1-0 win in 2011. Since then, the Hawks have lost seven straight and have been outscored 21-1, including last season's 5-1 loss and 2017's 8-0 loss. However, Lasker and her teammates feel as though this is a different team, and they are confident they can flip the script. 

"It's really important that we start off strong in conference play," Lasker said. "This game will set the tempo for the entire season. We feel confident going into the matchup, and we aren't over or underestimating them."
 
The Hawks encourage fans to wear green in an effort to raise mental health awareness and help "shatter the stigma."

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