Oneonta, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz came back from an early three-goal deficit to hold off hosting Hartwick and claim its second win of the year, 9-7.
 
The Hawks improved to 2-0 on the season, both wins coming on the road. Morgan Atwater led the team offensively with five points off four goals and an assist on eight shots, while adding a team-high four ground balls and five draw controls with two caused turnovers.
 
She was the catalyst offensively early, as she helped cut the deficit to 4-2 entering the second quarter off an assist from Kaitlyn Shaw.
 
SUNY New Paltz climbed back into the game in the following period, backed by its stingy defense led by sophomore Gabriella Tommaso who had a day between the pipes as she tied a career-high with 13 saves. The Hawks caused six turnovers in the opening 11 minutes of the period with Tommaso making three saves in the stretch including off a free position to keep the difference at two. Finally, Lexi Atwater got SUNY New Paltz within one as she finished off a feed from Ava Cronin.
 
Morgan Atwater won the ensuing draw control and rammed the ball down the throats of the hosting Hawks, as she scored her second of the day to knot the score at 4-4. Atwater scored again before the end of the half, taking advantage of a missed clear by Hartwick to give her team the first lead of the night at 5-4.
 
Both teams went scoreless for the first seven minutes of the half before Hartwick took advantage of a free position opportunity to tie the score, but the Hawks immediately answered as Shaw scored off a feed from Allison Beattie to re-up the one-goal advantage. Shaw extended the cushion to two with three minutes to go in the quarter, finishing on a find from Morgan Atwater.  
Tommaso had a pivotal save just before quarter's end as Hartwick earned a free position at center hash with four seconds to go with Tommaso getting a stick on the attempt to keep momentum going into the final period of play.
 
With 12:17 to go in the fourth, Hartwick earned another free position opportunity, but Hawks freshman defender Amy Whitman crashed hard and got her stick on the shot, allowing Tommaso to pick up the easy save. However, the Hawks struggled clearing the ball and allowed another opportunity for the hosts to run an offensive set, leading to a yellow by Whitman on a check to the head, which the hosting Hawks quickly capitalized on with another free position, this time scoring the man-up goal.
 
Hartwick won the ensuing draw and earned another man-up advantage after SUNY New Paltz was given a green card on an offsides call. The Hawks D anchored in though, and held firm to keep the thin one-goal lead.

The Hawks finally earned an opportunity on their offensive side of the restraining line with Shaw for the second-straight game making a huge play to help her team seal a win. The senior captain found the ball in her stick with the shot clock winding down and ripped a laser outside the 8 that found the top corner for the score to light up the visiting bench and push her team back up by two with less than eight minutes to go.
 
Tommaso then did her part to keep the lead, as she made back-to-back free position stops with less than four minutes to go. SUNY New Paltz cleared the ball the other way with Morgan Atwater then earning a free position on a shooting space call after driving past two defenders on her way to goal. She capitalized on the opportunity and pushed her team ahead, 9-6 with about 2:20 left.
 
The Hawks gave the hosting Hawks life with about 1:25 left, as a bad pass in front of cage led to a turnover and fast-break goal for Hartwick, as it trimmed the deficit to two as time ticked down. However, Morgan Atwater came up with the ensuing draw control and the Hawks milked the clock from there to claim their second win of the year.  
 
Shaw followed Atwater offensively with four points on three goals and an assist to go along with a ground ball and two draw controls. Lexi Atwater followed with two goals, a ground ball and three draw controls. Morgan Atwater and Morgan Woolley led the team defensively, each totaling two caused turnovers while combining for seven ground balls, while senior defender Grace Berardi also registered two CT's in the victory.

SUNY New Paltz goes back on the road Saturday to face Mount Saint Mary's College at 1 p.m.

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