Plattsburgh, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz women's soccer team kept its momentum going Saturday, as the Hawks won their second straight game by virtue of a 2-0 triumph on the road over No. 5 regionally ranked SUNY Plattsburgh. 

The win over the Cardinals is the first since 2014, and first in Plattsburgh in more than two decades. SUNY New Paltz also handed the hosting Cardinals their first loss in the SUNYAC and just their second defeat all season. 

Jess Funke gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead after a fantastic header in the 21st minute. Siena Diaz-Colon added a second goal in the 32nd minute when she blasted a deep ball more than 45 yards out into the back of the net after catching Plattsburgh's Julia Ennis high off her line. For Funke, it was her first goal of the season, while Diaz-Colon tallied her second. 

"Both goals were excellent individual efforts on both parts," said SUNY New Paltz coach Mike Eckberg. "Both Siena and Jess get a lot of credit for finishing their opportunities." 

The game was evenly matched throughout, with both teams controlling the ball well. The Hawks had 13 shots to Plattsburgh's 12, and five shots on goal to the Cardinals' six. Despite the close statistics, SUNY New Paltz was the team that made the most of its opportunities. 

"Our midfield was very sound in the first half," Eckberg said. "Our attack in transition created opportunities for us to go forward and be sound defensively in pivotal transitional moments."

Plattsburgh had a goal in the 50th minute that was called back due to offsides, but eventually scored in the 52nd minute on a penalty kick off the foot of Kirsten Villemaire.

Down the stretch, the SUNY New Paltz defense and goalkeeper Kyra Russo did a solid job of thwarting any Cardinal threats. The Hawks faced some precarious situations in the closing minutes but the backline did great work to prevent a tie. 

"Kyra Russo, Katie Buquicchio, Jesse Funke, Maggie Cameron, Lexi Deleo, Ciara Devlin all did a great job as the game wore on," Eckberg said. "A couple moments where we lost our shape and lost our composure, but that's just the nature of the game towards the end in such a tense game. Overall, in a good amount of moments, they did well to stay composed and offer consistent cover and balance." 

SUNY New Paltz came into the game with a 3-4-1 record, following a 2-0 victory over Potsdam Friday and faced a very good Cardinal team that was coming into the contest having won four consecutive games, while securing back-to-back shutouts. 

"It's about developing continued dynamic sequences going into our attack and trying to be as unpredictable as we can," Eckberg said. "We want to stay consistent with that, because that's where we can create opportunities and that's what we want to do in our attack. Work east and west on the field and be savvy and sound as we transition into our final third." 

SUNY New Paltz dropped Plattsburgh to 6-2-2, while upping its SUNYAC record to an even 2-2 in the process. The victory for the Hawks gets them to the .500 mark on the season, as they head into Wednesday's road game at Vassar with a 4-4-1 record. They are now winners of four of their last six and have won two straight after this weekend. 

"It's fantastic to get three points on the road," Eckberg said. "Then to get six [points], to go 2-0, is one of the hardest things to do in our conference. It's a testament to our team, it's a testament to what they have put together this whole season, and I think that they are walking away with the credit that they deserve." 

The Hawks are on the road at Vassar College Wednesday. The game is make-up from Sept. 1, when the originally scheduled contest between the two schools was postponed due to rain.

Siena-Diaz Colon goal (video courtesy of Plattsburgh Athletics)


*************************
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.