New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team earned a thrilling 17-16 win against conference rival SUNY Oneonta Wednesday on the North Turf Field.
The energy was high as the two SUNYAC teams took the field. The Red Dragons found the net early with quick and aggressive offense. Throughout the match the two teams stayed close in numbers, answering each other at every opportunity.
Within the first half, Oneonta kept the lead, despite the Hawks tying up the game 7-7 with a Camryn Ryder goal, with five minutes left. Oneonta was quick to respond though and broke away with three goals late in the second quarter, giving them a slight cushion at halftime (10-7).
"We came in knowing it was going to be a great day. Even though we were done a couple, we knew to keep our heads up, never give up... know that we were always going to be in the game. At halftime, I think we were considered underdogs in this game, so we needed that underdog mentality… we have nothing to lose. That was kind of what I reiterated at halftime for us to come out and play the last thirty minutes super hard," said head coach Randy Vite.
New Paltz fought during every second of the game. Offensively, they moved the ball well and found pockets in the Red Dragon defense. Freshman attacker Alyssa Indelicato was a force on attack and made several great moves in front of the goal that helped her to gain a game high of five goals, along with sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Shaw.
Throughout the second half Oneonta continued to play aggressively, closing space and applying high pressure. Several fast breaks and drives to cage gave the Red Dragons the advantage they needed to keep the lead. Defensively, the Hawks knew their decision making needed to be quick and a shift in organization would be key to shutting their opponents down.
Gallery: (4-20-2022) Wlax vs Oneonta 4/20/22
"I think they have some really strong 1v1 drivers so, it was trying to manage them and sliding to them, and who we're sliding from, so just keeping organized, our matchups tight, face guarding and we just made some adjustments," Vite said.
Offensively, the Hawks kept in motion during the final quarter, taking their time to keep possession and find opportunities to capitalize.
"They're an aggressive team...They're in a zone so, keeping our head up and moving the ball quickly. Not seeing the first option but seeing the second and third option is something we talked about...seeing those back side cuts and making sure there are those slam- dunk, wide open goals," said Vite.
New Paltz continuously improved their defensive organization and attacking vision. With two and a half left in the game, the Hawks gained their first lead of the match with a goal by freshman midfielder Kira Tucker, off a quick pass from junior midfielder Maddie Gillis. 
Quickly after this monumental moment in the game, Oneonta gained possession of the draw and charged to the goal. A New Paltz attacker Maddy Carullo found foul trouble and had a yellow card pulled, placing the Hawks a man down with 45 seconds left. The Red Dragons fought to take advantage of their man up situation and piled up on attack in front of the goal.
New Paltz defense stepped up tremendously to deny several attempts to cage. With seconds winding down, the ball came loose in the crease. Gillis came up with a ground ball, broke out of the pack and carried the ball over the 50 until the final buzzer sounded and the Hawks took their well-earned win.
"I'm proud of this team. We've been in three, 1-goal games so far this season and haven't come out on top, except for this one. So, I think we were overdue for a big win. We've been in such close games and haven't come out on top and it's just been a little frustrating, so I think this is a huge momentum builder for the last couple conference games," said Vite.
The Hawks are back in action Saturday when they host Buffalo State on the North Turf Field.
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