Syracuse, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz swept weekly SUNYAC awards Monday, announced by the conference office with
Lexi Atwater and
Kaitlyn Shaw and winning offensive and defensive player of the week honors, respectively.
Individual accolades were inevitable following a dominant week where the Hawks went 3-0 against Utica, Mount Saint Mary's College and Manhatanville College, out-scoring their opposition, 55-13.
Atwater was the catalyst offensively, leading the team with 18 points. She was game-leader offensively in a 17-6 home opening victory over Utica Tuesday, totaling seven goals and an assist for eights, tying for second most in single-game program history. She matched that same total in a 19-3 win over Manhattanville Saturday, posting six goals and two assists on eight shots for an efficient .750 shooting percentage. She added two goals in a 19-4 victory over MSMC and overall finished the week with 15 goals, three assists, five ground balls, four draw controls and two caused turnovers on 31 shots, 23 of which on target for 74.2 percent shooting margin.
Atwater on the year totaled 15 goals and three assists with 18 points and is just four points away from 100. The SUNYAC honor is the second for her career, and first Offensive Player of the Week selection.
Shaw, meanwhile, notches her sixth total weekly accolade and first defensive honor with her five previous all on the offensive end.
The fifth-year captain led her team in aspects on the week, producing on the offensive, defensive and middle of the field totaling 17 points, seven ground balls, 12 draw controls and seven caused turnovers.
Shaw came up with a momentum-shifting defensive play to end the half against the Pioneers. At 7-6 and only a few seconds remaining, Shaw baited the opposition into a forced pass, which she batted down, scooped up and ran the other way resulting in an Atwater goal to swing momentum at the break. SUNY New Paltz then went on to take a lopsided 11-point victory. She finished the game with three caused turnovers, three ground balls and a team-leading six draws to go along with five points. She was the team's defensive leader against the Knights, registering a game-high four caused turnovers to go along with two ground balls, three draws and a team-leading six points. Against the Valiants, the Rye Brook, NY native added three draws and two ground balls, while adding six goals to help surpass the 200-career goals threshold, becoming the only player in program history to reach the mark.
Read the official SUNYAC press release here.
The Hawks are back in action on North Turf Field Monday, hosting Kean at 3 p.m. before making the trip to Colorado over the weekend to face nationally ranked No. 19 Colorado College and No. 9 Pomona-Pitzer.
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