Utica, NY — In the last seven meetings the Utica Pioneers have gotten the best of the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse program. On Saturday, the Hawks broke the slump and held onto an impressive 10-6 win on the road to claim a season-opening victory.
 
"We were ready for a really good game and definitely were excited and up it," said Hawks coach Randy Vite. "With a young roster and new faces on the field it was really important to be in a good, close game like today."
 
SUNY New Paltz opened up hot, taking a 4-1 lead thanks to three-straight goals by Kaitlyn Shaw to end the first and entering the second periods of play. The Pioneers fought back to get within two with 9:38 left in the half after the Hawks defense did a good job on a one-minute penalty kill following a green card on Morgan Atwater. However, as soon as the team's got even Utica earned a free position it capitalized on to cut the deficit in half.
 
The Hawks immediately answered after Mia Baldinger zipped a tight feed to a cutting Lexi Atwater who caught and fired off stick-side to re-up the three-goal advantage.
 
Baldinger won the ensuing draw but lost possession before getting called for a green card in the midfield. The defense stood firm once again and Baldinger made sure to take advantage as she found herself on a one-v-one with the ball on the elbow after her team got to full strength. She stayed aggressive, planted her foot into the ground and juked her defender for the highlight dodge to then finish on cage and push SUNY New Paltz ahead, 6-2.
 
Another win off the draw by Baldinger led to a free position goal for Samantha DeLucca from the center hash as the freshman scored her first collegiate goal with the Hawks taking a 7-2 lead at halftime.  
The third quarter was a battle between the two goalies with both teams unable to find the back of the net until the final minute of the period. SUNY New Paltz goalie Gabriella Tommaso made a couple big stops to keep the cushion at five while the team killed another penalty early in the quarter. Tommaso then made back-to-back saves on free position attempts to anchor her team defensively midway through.
 
SUNY New Paltz had an opportunity to create some breathing room after Utica was handed a card trying to double Baldinger in the midfield with 2:28 left, but the Hawks continued to struggle with the man-up advantage and never put a shot on frame. The Pioneers held the ball on their offensive end, but SUNY New Paltz turned them over and tried clearing the other way. The Hawks crossed the restraining line, but Ailyn Rutnik forced a pass, which was picked and then immediately pushed the other direction for the fast-break goal. The play started swinging momentum toward the hosts, as they won the ensuing draw and scored to cut the lead to 7-3 with 1:11 left in the period.
 
Utica was hit with back-to-back cards in the final 40 seconds following a check in the midfield and an offsides call, giving SUNY New Paltz a two-man advantage. The Hawks held onto the ball and waited out the period to give themselves possession and extra-men to open up the fourth.

The break stalled the Pioneers momentum as Shaw immediately scored just 15 seconds into the quarter to push the lead to 8-4. Utica answered, whipping a feed inside to Bella Kolb who snuck a low shot past Tommaso.
 
The Pioneers began to high pressure as the quarter waned, but SUNY New Paltz was able to pass its way out of it leading to its next goal. Ava Cronin found a cutting Lexi Atwater inside the 8-meter before getting pummeled on a foul. The sophomore lined up on the inside hash, drove and buried her shot to fatten the lead back to four.
 
Utica scored one more with about three minutes to go to gain some life, but Shaw took over from there refusing to let the win slip away.
 
The Hawks held down defensively and created a turnover. Utica again provided heavy pressure, but SUNY New Paltz passed out of it before finding Baldinger who ran the ball over the retraining line with the Hawks slowing down the offense with less than two minutes to go. Shaw then put the team on her shoulders, dodging through a double, then weaving past an early slide to rip a shot for her fifth of the game to all but seal up the 10-6 win.
 
Shaw was the catalyst in the victory, scoring a game-high five goals to go along with a ground ball and a team-leading four draw controls. Lexi Atwater followed with two goals and an assist, while adding a ground ball and two draw controls. Baldinger chipped in with one goal, two assists, two ground balls and four draw controls. Tommaso ended a solid day with five saves and the win.
 
"Kaitlyn showed so much leadership on field," Vite said. "She communicated expectations and controlled the flow of the game. I think she just took over at the end."
 
SUNY New Paltz returns to action next Wednesday when it travels to Oneonta, NY to take on Hartwick College at 4 p.m.  

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