The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced its annual awards Wednesday with the Hawks earning a record six selections to the All-SUNYAC squad, including Coaching Staff of the Yar honors for head coach
Mike Eckberg and his staff.
The previous high for All-SUNYAC picks was five during the program's conference championship season in 2011. The Hawks earned three second-team selections in sophomores
Rachel Eisert,
Maddie Franklin and seniors
Siena Diaz-Colon and
Jess Funke, while freshman
Brooke Kelleher and senior
Katie Buquicchio were named third team. Kelleher also made history, becoming the program's first ever Rookie of the Year selection.
"These six are a byproduct of our environment. They bring so much to NPWS everyday as players, as teammates and as leaders," said Eckberg of his six all conference selections. "It is an honor and privilege to work with them and for them to receive the credit they deserve individually and collectively as a program."
To view the full All SUNYAC women's Soccer Team,
click here.
Read more on each selection below:
Second Team:
Rachel Eisert (sophomore, forward)
Bellmore, NY/Wellington C. Mepham HS
For the second consecutive season
Rachel Eisert earned a spot on the All-SUNYAC Second Team. Her consistent play at both the forward and midfield positions paved the way for another record setting season for the Hawks.
Eisert set season-highs for herself in both goals (8), assists (6) and points (22). Her 2022 season ranks among the best in single-season program history, sitting sixth in points, tied third in assists and tied eighth in goals and in just two seasons has elevated herself tied for sixth all-time in career goals and ninth all-time in career points.
"Rachel is a premier forward; she is ultra-dynamic in so many ways and provides a pure threat to goal," Eckberg said. "Her attacking mentality is special, any time she is on the ball you know she can make something happen. She links up play so well and makes everyone around her better. She is the purest competitor I have ever had the privilege to coach."
In overall play, including the postseason, Eisert led the team with eight goals and six assists. Four of her goals were game winners, and she assisted on two game-winning goals. She netted two goals in a single match twice, which came in wins over Russell Sage College and Fredonia State.
In SUNYAC regular season and postseason play, Eisert tallied five goals with three assists, including game winners against Potsdam and Fredonia. She also assisted on game-winning goals against Oneonta. In the SUNYAC playoffs, Eisert scored one goals with two assists in the Hawks' 5-2 quarterfinal victory over Brockport, while assisting on another in a tough 3-2 loss in the SUNYAC semifinals against SUNY Geneseo.
Eisert started 14 of the 16 games she played in, including eight of eight SUNYAC games. She totaled 879 minutes overall, 496 of which were in SUNYAC games. Overall, she had 55 shots, 27 of which were on goals for a .491 shots-on-goal percentage. In conference play she had 34 shots with 14 on goals for a
.412 shots-on-goal percentage.
Along with her consecutive All-SUNYAC honors, Eisert earned a spot on the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after helping SUNY New Paltz to a semifinal berth and leading her team with a goal and three assists in the postseason.
Siena Diaz-Colon (senior, midfield)
Floral Park, NY/Floral Park Memorial HS)
Earning All-SUNYAC Second Team honors caps off a stellar career for senior Siena
Diaz-Colon. Adding much needed maturity and experience to a relatively youthful Hawks starting 11, Diaz-Colon started in 17 of 17 games overall, while contributing two goals and two assists. She scored one game winner, against Bard College with one game winning assist.
"Siena is the driver of our midfield. Her ability to pick up second balls, drive forward into our attack and create is exceptional," Eckberg said. "Her grit, dedication and passion for the game fuels her engine. She is incredibly deserving of this honor."
In conference play, Diaz-Colon started in all nine games, assisting on the game-winner in a 2-0 regular season win over Brockport.
For the season, she totaled 964 minutes. She had 22 shots with 10 shots on goals for a .455 shots-on-goal percentage. In SUNYAC play she started nine of nine games, totaling 489 minutes, recording seven shots on goal.
Diaz-Colon ends her career with six goals, eight assists and 20 points, while ranking tied for seventh in Hawks program history in career assists.
Jess Funke (senior, center back)
Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West HS
Jess Funke earned her first All-SUNYAC selection as a second team pick after a career season where she established herself as one of the best center backs in the conference. The stalwart defender was an integral part of the Hawks overpowering defense. Funke and her teammates limited the opposition to 15 goals overall for a 0.88 goals-against-average with nine shutouts on the season. Her 1119 minutes played were third most on the squad.
Funke started in all nine SUNYAC games and played 628 minutes. She helped limit SUNYAC foes to just seven goals in nine games for a 0.78 goals-against-average, with four shutouts.
"Jess is the pulse of our backline," Eckberg said. "As much as our frontline created opportunities, Jess took care of the rest in the back. Her vision, organization, and ability to win countless individual battles created such confidence and poise in our backline individually and collectively."
Maddie Franklin (sophomore, goalkeeper)
Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa HS
Maddie Franklin transferred into the Hawks program this season after spending last year at Roberts Wesleyan and the second-year goalkeeper made an immediate impact to her new team. She became the fourth goalie in program history to earn All-SUNYAC honors, the last being Stephanie Vega in 2011 and 2012.
"Maddie is clutch, she can make game changing saves in all environments," Eckberg said. "Her angles, footwork, presence off her line and handling are first class. She came through in big moments for us when needed. She has all the tools of an elite goalkeeper."
Franklin anchored a SUNY New Paltz defense that tallied nine shutouts and limited opponents to a miniscule 0.88 goals-per-game over 17 matches.
Franklin started in 12 of 17 contests, totaling 1,170 minutes in the net. She allowed 11 goals for 0.85 goals-against-average and made 58 saves for an .847 save percentage with an overall record was 8-3-1.
Her goals against average this season ranked third best ever in single-season program history, while her .847 save percentage was eighth best in Hawks single-season history.
Playing 675 minutes while starting eight of nine SUNYAC games, Franklin gave up five goals for a 0.67 goals-against-average. Her 41 saves led to a .891 save percentage against SUNYAC competition as she compiled a 5-2-1 record in conference play with three shutouts.
Third Team:
Rookie of the Year:
Brooke Kelleher (freshman, forward)
The Smithtown, NY native made an instant impact on both the Hawks women's soccer team and on their opponents. Using her speed and max effort every time she stepped foot on the pitch, Kelleher established herself as one the best up-and-coming players in the conference in her first season with the orange and blue.
She started 12 of 17 games played and was second overall in scoring, only behind Esiert, with seven goals and two assists on the year with two of her goals game-winners.
"Brooke is special," Eckberg said. "She is fearless, hungry to finish and fully commits herself in all aspects of the game. She finishes her forward runs, she presses, and she makes simple moments become special."
Playing 816 minutes, Kelleher had 22 shots overall with 13 on goal for a sterling
.591 shots-on-goal percentage.
As a first-year conference player, Kelleher started eight of nine SUNYAC games. She scored four goals, including two game winning goals, which came against Plattsburgh and Oneonta. She had eight shots with six on goal for a .750 shots-on-goal percentage. In SUNY New Paltz's SUNYAC quarterfinal match with Brockport, Kelleher scored two goals and in the semifinal loss to Geneseo, she added another score to lead her team.
Kelleher becomes the first ever SUNYAC Rookie of the Year honoree in program history.
"What an honor for her and our program," Eckberg said. "Brooke never takes any moment of the game lightly. She treats every moment of the game like a game changing moment."
Along with earning All-SUNYAC and Rookie of the Year honors, Kelleher joined Eisert on the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after leading the Hawks with three goals in their two postseason games of the conference tournament.
Katie Buquicchio (senior, center back)
Deer Park, NY/Deer Park HS
Buquicchio concluded her senior season with a second straight All-SUNYAC selection, this time earning a spot on third team after earning second team.
Buquicchio commanded the Hawks defense from her center back position, starting 15 of 16 games played. Her 1186 minutes played were second most amongst the team. She played an integral role in SUNY New Paltz's defense that limited opponents to 11 goals all seasons for an .88 goals-against-average.
In SUNYAC play, Buquicchio started seven of eight conference games, playing 591 minutes. Her lone point for 2022 came on an assist in a 3-1 Hawks victory over Buffalo State. Defensively, she helped her team hold conference opponents to just seven goals scored all season for a .78 goals-against-average.
"Katie is class," Eckberg said. "Her soccer IQ, technical ability and vision are indistinguishable. Composed on the ball, her ability to balance simple and special decisions tactically allowed our backline to contribute to our attack. She is a complete player."
Coaching Staff of the Year
Mike Eckberg (Head Coach/fifth season)
Laura Morcone (Assistant Coach/fourth season)
Samantha Trimblet (Assistant Coach/first season)
Eckberg becomes just the second coach in program history and first since Colleen Bruley in 2011 to be named SUNYAC Coach of the Year.
Eckberg and his staff, assistants
Laura Morcone and Samantha Trimblet guided the Hawks women's soccer team to one of its best seasons in more than a decade. SUNY New Paltz reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2012 and finished with the most victories in conference play (6) since 2011, which matched a program most.
The team was regionally ranked earlier in the year after starting the season 8-1-1, and during its 2022 run produced 39 goals for and 15 against with the former being the most since 2012 and the latter ranking the least since 2011.
Eckberg led the Hawks to back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since the 2011-2012 seasons with the program only having consecutive playoff appearance three times since its inception, as the team reached the semifinal round for the first time in 11 years.
SUNY New Paltz finished the regular season at 11-4-2 overall, 6-2-1 in conference play with its only losses coming against regionally ranked opponents as they ended the year third overall in the SUNYAC standings — again, the best in more than a decade.
*********************
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.
