New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz concluded its 2025 regular season Saturday against visiting Vassar College on North Turf Field with the team honoring its seven seniors ahead of the matchup.
The game was scoreless for most of the game until the Brewers took advantage of one of their eight corners in the outing with nine minutes left in the fourth period to put them up 1-0. The Hawks couldn't answer offensively in the remaining time and SUNY New Paltz suffered their eighth loss of the season and third consecutive.
The match went fast as most of the play was played between the 25's with five corners totaled through the opening 30 minutes, including seven shots combined between the two teams. Vassar held the advantage in shots overall (10-9), including shots-goal, 8-4. SUNY New Paltz struggled getting possessions inside its circle and totaled just three penalty corners, while Vassar had four in each half.
The Hawks came out aggressive and registered their lone corner of the half in the second minute of the match with
Miranda Britton inserting to
Rachel Tama whose attempt went wide of goal. SUNY New Paltz was kept without a shot on goal for the rest of the half and the draught continued until the 36th minute with Britton earning a man-down corner after
Ashley McGough was hit with a green card a few seconds prior. Britton again inserted to Tama at the top spot, but the senior couldn't get enough on the shot to get a clean look on cage. Britton was there to try the rebound, but her look was saved by Brewers goalie Grace Wiley (three stops). Vassar had trouble clearing, as Maya O'Keefe and
Meghan Gunning each had looks in the sequence, but both attempts went wide.
Each team had near-goals to start the fourth with Sophie Rosenblum recording the defensive save on a shot by Tama in the 48th minute and senior back
Madeline Meyer doing the same on a shot by Brewers' Ava Salvati four minutes later to keep the game at zeros.
Gallery: (11-1-2025) FH v Vassar 11/1 by Alyssa Trokie
Vassar finally broke up the stalemate though, as it earned back-to-back corners in the sequence with the Hawks struggling to clear in front of goal. The visitors capitalized on the second try, as Audrey Izzo put away what ended as the game-winner for the Brewers.
Britton and Tama each had two final attempts for the equalizer, but couldn't find the back of the net, resulting in the 1-0 outcome with the team suffering their fifth shutout of the year and third straight.
All seven seniors earned the start for SUNY New Paltz, which included goalie
Gail Comiskey (five saves), Britton, Meyer, Tama, Gunning, back
Madelyn Graves and forward
Ayden Fleming.
Tama led the team with four shots, one on goal with Meyer registering two defensive saves. Meyer's nine career defensive saves pushed her third all-time in just three seasons played, only three behind all-time leader and former teammate Sam Moran '24. The only other Hawks to have more are 2021 alumna Jessica Ascencao and 2009 alumna Ann Marie Rudd who are both tied for second with 10.
SUNY New Paltz ends the regular season at 10-8 overall and maintain a 4-1 standing in SUNYAC play, holding the No. 2 seed entering the SUNYAC Tournament next weekend where they will play host Nov. 7-8. Postseason begins Friday for the Hawks, as they face rival and No. 3 seeded Cortland at 1:30 p.m. on North Turf Field. The winner will play either No. 1 Salisbury or No. 4 Oneonta — who will face off at 11 a.m. Friday on North Turf — on Saturday at noon in the Championship round.
Senior Day Highlights (video by Xavier Zykoff/Athletic Communications)
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