Last season, the State University of New York at New Paltz earned just its second appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament and was happy to enter postseason play with then first-year coach Randy Vite. Third seeded Brockport ended the Hawks 2022 run, but a lot has changed in a full calendar year with SUNY New Paltz ready to return the favor Saturday back on the road against the Golden Eagles.
 
The Hawks (9-6 overall, 5-4 SUNYAC) captured the fifth seed — its highest ever in program history — after late heroics by Alyssa Indelicato who buried a double-overtime game winner over Oneonta Wednesday. The win pitted SUNY New Paltz against No. 4 Brockport once again, but the mentality is different with the Hawks, hungry to finally capture their first postseason victory and appearance in the semifinal round.
  "This time around definitely feels different going into the postseason compared to last year," said Hawks junior midfielder Kaitlyn Shaw. "We've developed and been improving on a lot of different skill sets this year. A lot of our players have been 100 percent in it, and I just think we're going to make a great run this year."
 
SUNY New Paltz played a tight game against Brockport (7-7, 6-3) just more than a week ago, falling 13-9 after getting outscored 4-0 in the third. Shaw showed why she was the program's first All-Region selection last season, as she recorded a team-high four points on two goals and two assists.
 
Shaw has led the way for the Hawks this season, totaling 57 points on 46 goals and 11 assists — she's four goals away from tying the program's single-season goal record which she set herself last season. Starting all 15 contests, Shaw also paces the team in draw controls (48), while adding seven caused turnovers and 24 ground balls on the year.
 
"For me personally, I think I've done a great job with helping this team come to where it's been," Shaw said. "I think my teammates have helped me to get to that spot that I am, and just being able to be a part of a program that makes history is a great feeling."  
 
Following Shaw offensively has been a pair of breakout freshmen in attacker Julia Longo and midfielder Morgan Atwater. Longo leads the team in assists with 17, while totaling 35 points in 15 games played, while Atwater proved herself already as one of the best two-way middies in the conference in just her first year. The Gardner Webb transfer is second behind Shaw in goals (25), while adding four assists, 18 draw controls, 12 caused turnovers and 12 ground balls.
 
All season though, SUNY New Paltz has been backed by its lock down defensive zone system led by senior captain Alex Coyle. The Centereach, NY native is having a career year, thriving as the leader of Vite's defense as she totaled career highs in caused turnovers (21) and ground balls (24) and is instrumental in the team's 8.74 goals-against-average, which ranks fourth in the SUNYAC with a conference-leading 171 caused turnovers.

The return of Ella Malanga has also helped the Hawks defense reach new peaks in 2023, as the senior leads the team in caused turnovers (30), breaking the single season program set back in 2012. Freshman Gabriella Tommaso has been solid in her first season starting in cage for SUNY New Paltz. The Port Jefferson Station, NY native has totaled 96 saves with a minimal goals-against-average of 9.01.
 
"We've been really focusing on defense, and it's really paid off," Shaw said. "We're one of the top defenses in the conference and it just pushes us to be even better on the attacking end. It's such a nice feeling to get a turnover on defense and turn that into a goal on the opposite side of the field. It's just all-around teamwork when that happens, and we want to make that happen every play."
 
Brockport's led by senior attacker Cassidy Burnash who's already totaled 70 points on the year, leading her team in both goals (41) and assists (29). Senior midfielder Courtney Cunningham is third on the team in goals (31) and paces the Golden Eagles on the draw, pulling down 62 on the year. Sophomore attacker Alayna Foos is second on the team in points, registering 32 points and 11 assists thus far.
 
Cunningham was the catalyst in the first matchup against SUNY New Paltz, as she led the way with six points on five goals, an assist, four ground balls, two caused turnovers and three draw controls. Foos followed with two goals and two assists with four ground balls with the Hawks doing a good job limiting Burnash to two goals and an assist off six shots.
 
"The second time around, we've learned a lot since we've played them, and I just feel like we've been developing everything we've been doing this season," Shaw said. "I think if we were to meet them again, they're going to have a hard time beating us twice."
 
SUNY New Paltz is set to face fourth seeded Brockport Saturday at 7 p.m. on Huntley Parker Field. The winner will advance and play No. 1 seed Cortland in the semifinal round Wednesday.
 
"We've been working so hard this season," Shaw added. "I think we definitely have every capability possible to make it past the first round. We've had looks of it last year, but I think this year is definitely different. We're a much better team. We're much more composed and our teamwork altogether is just going to help us push past that and make history this year."

Game Preview Featuring Kaitlyn Shaw

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