New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz hosted Nazareth College Saturday on the North Turf Field with the game decided in the final seconds. The Hawks were unable to score the game-tying goal resulting in a 11-10 win for the Golden Flyers.
"This was the most exciting game yet," said SUNY New Paltz coach
Randy Vite. "I think Nazareth was a really good team. They played some really tough competition coming up to this, so I knew they were going to be tough and ready to play."
The game was tied seven times with four different lead changes, as the Hawks overcame in early 3-0 deficit to start the first quarter. SUNY New Paltz homed in midway through the quarter, as it capitalized off a failed clear by Nazareth leading to a free position on the other end for
Shannon Brosnan who bounced her attempt top corner past the Golden Flyers Katie Lawrence to get her team on the board.
Maddie Gillis then added on two minutes later, following a save by
Hailey Aber on the defensive end. SUNY New Paltz cleared and settled the ball on offense, which helped gain a lane for Gillis to dodge and finish with her left to cut the score to 3-2 entering the second quarter.
"I think we were shell-shocked for the first five minutes," Vite said. "They went up three goals on us and then we rose to the occasion and we were ready to play."
Gallery: (3-19-2022) Women's Lacrosse vs Nazareth
The Hawks tied the score five minutes into the second period. A timely sub in transition allowed Gillis to find Brosnan who cleared the ball over to the offensive end before capitalizing with her second of the day. Gillis won the ensuing draw control, but the Golden Flyers played good defense and forced SUNY New Paltz into a shot clock violation on the possession, which then led to a goal following the Hawks turnover. Brosnan came up with the draw after the score and
Katie Zito tied the score once more, finishing off a feed from
Alyssa Indelicato with about six minutes left in the half.
SUNY New Paltz took its first lead of the game with less than four minutes remaining on a beautiful feed and finish by
Kaitlyn Shaw and Mddy Carullo. Shaw attacked the eight meter and drew the double, allowing Carullo to sneak underneath, catching and ripping a shot past Lawrence to give the Hawks a 5-4 advantage.
Nazareth answered though to end the half, scoring a man-up goal to tie the game and then ending the half with another score with 16 seconds left to own a 6-5 advantage at the break.
Brosnan tied the game at six early in the third quarter, scoring her third of the day, unassisted. Carullo then added on with 8:19 to go in the quarter after drawing a shooting space and earning a free position on the far hash, scoring on a low bouncing shot into the corner to push the lead to 7-6. The slight advantage didn't last long, however, as the Golden Flyers won the ensuing draw and immediately followed with a free position attempt to tie the score with about seven minutes to go.
Indelicato re-upped her team's lead, scoring on a man-up opportunity, which was her first of her collegiate career. After Nazareth knotted the score at 8, Gillis won the ensuing draw in the air to establish the Hawks possession, which then led to a free position for Shaw who ripped a laser right side for the score to give SUNY New Paltz a 9-8 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
The two teams traded goals to start the final period with the Golden Flyers then tying the score at 10 following a turnover in transition by the Hawks, leading to a timeout by Vite. Neither team found the back of the net for the following nine minutes until what turned into the game-winner for Nazareth with just more than a minute left.
"That's something that we need to continue to work on is just successfully transitioning the ball, decision making and executing our stick work in transition," Vite said. "It's something that we've focused on and we'll continue to focus on throughout the season."
The Golden Flyers regained possession following a defensive stand with Zito missing a cutting Carullo in the eight. Nazareth cleared to its offensive zone and as it moved the ball around, Gillis was called for a three second violation, leading to a free position for Annie Rubel. Rubel drove in with Brosnan getting a check on her stick but was called for the foul to put her back on the second hash. Rubel took advantage of the second attempt, bouncing a shot past Aber for the score with 1:27 remaining.
Nazareth won possession off the draw after a foul was called on the loose ball, but the Hawks won the ball back and Vite called another timeout to draw up a play with about 50 seconds remaining. SUNY New Paltz got the ball into the stick of Zito who fed inside to a cutting
Kira Tucker from atop the fan. Tucker reeled in the pass but took contact from behind on the shot attempt that was saved by Lawrence with no foul called and time ticking down. SUNY New Paltz worked to win the ball back, forcing a bad pass with 10 seconds remaining, leading to one last try by Shaw but with minimal time, she settled for a no-angle shot from far out that was easily handled by Lawrence to close the game.
"We've never done that [play]. We briefly ran it in practice the other day and decided that it was something we could do, so when I threw them into it, they weren't shocked and yet, it was wide open and that's all you can ask for," Vite said. "We had the last two shots of the game in the last 20 seconds. There's nothing more I could have asked of them. Luck just wasn't on our side today."
Brosnan led the way with three goals, while adding two caused turnovers and a ground ball. Carullo and Zito each had two goals, while Shaw and Indelicato ended with a goal and an assist. Shaw also led the team in ground balls with four and tied for team-most in caused turnovers with two. Aber had a standout performance, making a career-high 15 saves on 26 shots faced.
"She was our player of the game," Vite said of Aber. "Fifteen saves on 11 goals against is unreal and she played really well in our last close game too, so I am super pumped for Hailey."
"I think we're just maturing throughout the season. We're just staying calm, staying composed and making good decisions," Vite added on her team offensively. "I've been stressing slam dunk goals this whole time and waiting for that wide open feed and take, so they've definitely been executing that better throughout these past two games."
The Hawks are back on the field Saturday, starting SUNYAC play by hosting SUNY Potsdam on the North Turf Field at 1 p.m.
Highlights vs. Nazareth
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