Fresh off their thrilling 3-0 victory over Liberty League leader Ithaca College, the State University of New York at New Paltz field hockey team travels to SUNY Morrisville Friday to continue its quest to recapture the SUNYAC field hockey title by securing the top seed in the conference for the first time since 2018.

The Hawks final four games are all SUNYAC matches, with the last three on the friendly confines of their home turf, North Field following its last road contest of the regular season against the Mustangs.

SUNY New Paltz will face a Morrisville squad that felt the wrath of SUNY Cortland Wednesday afternoon. The Red Dragons, whose 4-2 loss to the Hawks last Saturday gave them their first conference defeat and dropped them two places in the NFHCA national poll, completely dominated the Mustangs across the field, shutting out Morrisville by a score of 8-0. 

Overall, the Mustangs have a 3-7 overall record and are 0-4 in SUNYAC. Morrisville has been shutout in each of its conference games, giving up 20 goals. The offense has been led by senior Heather Cummings (Akron, NY) with six goals and four assists, second year Camberly Vanvalkenberg (Walton, NY) has contributed four goals and four assists, while first-year players Erika Herman (Oneida, NY) and Alexis Shaunessy (Randolph, NJ) have added two goals each. Herman has also assisted on three goals. Lastly, freshman Jenna Wilbur (Greenwich, NY) has one goal.

Mustangs' junior goalie Morgan Dueber (Owego, NY) made 29 saves in the game against Cortland, bringing her season total to 131. A 2018 NEAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference selection, Dueber has played every minute for Morrisville this year, with a 3.80 goals-against-average, with one shutout.

For SUNY New Paltz, second-year Morgan Woolley (Blue Point, NY) continues to lead the team with 10 goals and three assists, followed by junior All-Conference forward Natasia Plunkett (Holland Patent, NY), who had two big goals against Ithaca on Tuesday, has seven goals and three assists on the year. Sophomore forward Hannah Ackerman (Nesconset, NY) and junior back Julia Cummings (Mohegan Lake, NY) each have six goals and four assists on the year, while All-Conference senior midfield/back Jessica Ascencao (Mohegan Lake, NY) leads the team with nine assists, including two in the victory over the Bombers.

Showing their game savvy and experience in the midfield has been two seniors, Courtney Kruzikas (Ballston Lake, NY) and Shannon Bernhardt (Massapequa, NY). Standing tall in goal in the wins over Cortland and Ithaca has been senior Ryan Dowling (East Northport, NY) with a 1.13 goals-against-average. No less a stalwart in goal has been senior Mackenzie Mortimer (Fairport, NY) whose 1.90 goals-against-average makes the Hawks two goalies stand out with combined 1.50 goals-against-average.

SUNY New Paltz hopes to have a complete performance against the bottom of the standings Mustangs. Friday's matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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