New Paltz, NY —Despite locking up playoff seeding already, the State University of New York at New Paltz didn't take its last conference matchup of the regular season lightly.
 
Hosting the Oneonta Red Dragons on North Turf Field Wednesday, a team eliminated from postseason contention, the Hawks went in with plans of a dominating effort and continued momentum as their regular season begins to wind down. They controlled the game from the start, but the second half demonstrated their command on the scoreboard as they netted three of their four unanswered goals in the final 30 minutes to earn the eventual, 4-0 shutout victory.
 
"Overall, I think the beginning of the game we came out flat," said SUNY New Paltz junior forward Amanda Quenneville who led her team with two goals on the day. "We weren't shooting as fast as we could, but moving on in the second half we made those changes. We were getting shots off faster and finishing."
 
The Hawks held the Red Dragons without a shot in the opening 15 minutes, while recording 13 shots on cage but was held scoreless until Quenneville broke the stalemate two minutes into the second quarter. Meghan Gunning inserted a SUNY New Paltz penalty corner to Rachel Tama who fired an attempt on goal with Quenneville getting a stick on the shot to re-direct the ball into the top corner of the net to give her team a 1-0 lead.
 
 
"I feel like we were being more aggressive, getting corners, which allowed us to get more opportunities in the circle," Quenneville said. "The first goal really helped us ignite the offense and get more shots off and be more aggressive in the circle so we can have more positive outcomes."
SUNY New Paltz took the one goal advantage into the half and became more efficient with its opportunities in the circle in the final 30 minutes. The Hawks out-shot the Red Dragons, 25-2 in the first half and 18-1 in the second but capitalized with a pair of scores in the third quarter and another in the fourth to establish a comfortable cushion. Quenneville stepped up again to spark the offense, firing a laser that found the back of the cage for her second of the day.
 
SUNY New Paltz's third goal came off a beautiful aerial by back Sam Moran who launched a ball from the Hawks' defensive half into her team's offensive 25. Rachel Tama then found the ball inside the circle, dribbling and slipping a pass to teammate Ayden Fleming who netted her team-leading 12th goal of the year to push the lead to 3-0 with two minutes left in the third.
 
Madeline Meyer aided in the Hawks' final score, which came with two minutes into the fourth quarter. Getting her stick down, the back won the ball back on an open field tackle to re-start the offense the other way. Hannah Ackerman then worked the ball endline and sent a pass across the face of goal for Miranda Britton who finished for her 10th of the season to seal a 4-0 win.
 
The game was mostly played on SUNY New Paltz's offensive end and the box score dictated as such, as the Hawks recorded 43 shots, 28 on goal to just three for Oneonta, while the hosts garnered 23 penalty corners to the Red Dragons' one, which came in the fourth quarter.
 
Tama led the team with 12 goals, finishing with two assists and a defensive save. Quenneville followed with seven shots with two goals, while Ackerman also tallied seven shots with one assist. Gail Comiskey was credited with the win in the full 60 minuets played, she made two saves in limited action.
 
SUNY New Paltz closes out the regular season Saturday at home on North Turf Field, hosting Vassar College at 1 p.m. The Hawks will honor its three senior members: Moran, Ackerman and Morgan Woolley prior to the game for Senior Day.

Post-Game Featuring Amanda Quenneville


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