New Paltz, N.Y. — The State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team put together a historic season this Spring. The Hawks ended the 2023 season with an overall record of 9-7 and a conference record of 5-4. Those nine wins are the most in program history and along with that, this season was the first time the team has ever secured back-to-back SUNYAC playoff appearances with SUNY New Paltz clinching the fifth-seed heading into the postseason; the highest seed in program history.  

The season did not start as the team would've liked, as they fell to Utica University in a game which ended 7-4 in favor of the Pioneers. The Hawks responded to the loss, immediately winning the next game in a 15-9 dismantling of St. Joseph's College Long Island. Junior Kaitlyn Shaw was the standout, scoring a program-tying record seven goals in the game which was also a career-high. 

"It felt really good getting the first win under our belt," she said after the win. "It's really going to set the tone for the season." And that it did, as SUNY New Paltz won its next two games, first beating Bard College 24-4 and then Hood College 11-6, in one of its most impressive performances of the season. 

The Hawks then headed to New Jersey where they faced a tough Stockton University side. They lost 18-4, but bounced back once again taking down the Knights of Mount Saint Mary's College in a convincing 18-2 win. In the win, Shaw surpassed the 100-point mark in only her third season at SUNY New Paltz.  "It means a lot to me," she said. "It means the hard work I put in the last two years has really paid off, and it just makes me realize how great of teammates I have. They've helped me become the player that I am, and I appreciate them every day." 

Shaw wasn't the only Hawk to make history in this game, as freshman attacker Julia Longo etched her own name into the program history books by setting a new single game record seven assists on the day.

SUNYAC play began with a loss to the Lakers of Oswego, but in typical fashion,SUNY New Paltz responded pulling out a tight 11-10 win over an athletic Plattsburgh State side, avenging last year's loss on the Cardinals home turf. The game-winning goal came courtesy of freshman midfielder Morgan Atwater who helped her team secure their first win of conference play, which started the first of four-game winning streak that saw SUNY New Paltz take down Fredonia, Potsdam, and Buffalo State, respectively, and improving their record to 4-1 in the SUNYAC.  

The Hawks lost their next three games, however, as they dove into the "gauntlet," as coach Randy Vite described, playing the top teams in the conference. The first against a nationally ranked SUNY Geneseo who ended up going on to win the SUNYAC tournament. Up next was perennial power, the Cortland Red Dragons who ranked 19th in the country when the Hawks played them with SUNY New Paltz ending the stretch against another postseason team and a program they have yet to defeat, in SUNY Brockport. 

The Hawks headed to Oneonta to play their final regular season game of the year, looking to secure a playoff spot. In a back and forth game, they came out on top as a result of a double overtime game-winner scored by sophomore Alyssa Indelicato. The win secured the fifth seed for the Hawks as they headed into the postseason.  

The women's lacrosse season came to a bitter end in the first round of playoffs with SUNY New Paltz falling 11-7 against the fourth seeded Golden Eagles. The team put up a fight and Shaw shined once again scoring six of the team's seven goals in the game, unfortunately it wasn't enough and the Hawks had concluded a record-breaking season.  
 

Despite the games having come to an end, the honors started making their way in. SUNY New Paltz earned four All-SUNYAC selections, which included freshman Morgan Atwater, and senior defenders Alex Coyle and Ella Malanga earning their first all-conference nods on third team, while Shaw was named to the second team.

Coyle in particular had a breakout season for the Hawks as the leader on a historically stout defense. The senior captain was the backbone for SUNY New Paltz and ended with career numbers in ground balls and caused turnovers without missing a start. Malanga, much like Coyle, played a massive role in the defensive success that the Hawks had all season long as her comeback season ended in a record breaking performance, as she set a new single season mark in caused turnovers with 31 on the year. Atwater, who was a second semester transfer from Gardiner Webb, proved herself as one of the best two-way middies in the conference and finished her first season ranking second on the team in goals and third in points. Meanwhile, Shaw led the way for SUNY New Paltz in another record-breaking season where she re-set her own single season goal record, scoring 52 goals. Shaw's tally sits at 115 after only three years in the program.  

The final award of the year belonged to Coyle who made program history by being the first Hawk named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Senior All-Star game. Coyle was one of only 44 Division III players to be named to this year's All-Star game.

The Hawks return 16 players from their 2023 club, graduating a talented senior class in Coyle, Malanga, and starters Maddie Gillis, Cayci Hill, Shannon Brosnan and Camryn Ryder.

2023 Season Highlights (edited by Joseph DiPreta)


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