Fredonia, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz improved to 2-0 in SUNYAC play following a 17-10 road victory over Fredonia.
 
The Hawks improved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the SUNYAC while concluding a long road stand where they accumulated 2,502 miles of travel over the past two weeks as the team ended 3-1 through trips to Colorado and Upstate New York following a SUNYAC opening win over Canton last Saturday.
 
SUNY New Paltz grabbed a 5-0 lead after the first quarter over the Blue Devils after scoring immediately following the game's first two draws thanks to goals from Morgan Atwater and Lexi Atwater. Kira Tucker got in on the action, scoring off an assist by Ava Padilla to bring the lead to 3-0 with 11 minutes to go in the first. Mia Baldinger added on with five minutes remaining in the quarter, working hard to win the ball back on the ride, forcing a turnover picking up the loose ball and scoring for her sixth goal of the season. Morgan Atwater then capped the run with a free position goal in the final 20 seconds to bring the advantage to five.
 
Fredonia regrouped in the second quarter, scoring immediately off the draw. Lexi Atwater answered with a goal following a draw control win by Kaitlyn Shaw to re-up the five-goal cushion. The hosts responded with a 3-0 run, passing its way through SUNY New Paltz's zone defense, scoring two of the three goals in the run of play with the first coming off a free position following a foul in the arc.  
Shaw stopped the run with a goal after Morgan Atwater picked up her own rebound off an initial save by the Blue Devils' Ashleigh Manns. Lexi Atwater added on following a good defensive stand by the Hawks forcing a shot clock violation. SUNY New Paltz cleared past the restraining line, which led to an Allison Beattie feed inside to Lexi Atwater to create an 8-4 game with 3:30 left in the half.
 
The Blue Devils scored in the final 90 seconds before the break to gain some momentum and then got within two with a goal to start the third quarter off a free position attempt. The difference remained at two with the teams exchanging goals until SUNY New Paltz started finding success in the final three-plus minutes of the period, scoring three straight to take a 13-8 advantage.

Tucker netted her second of the game off a feed by Padilla and Morgan Atwater did the rest, picking up back-to-back goals off draw control wins to push her team out in front by five entering the fourth.
 
Morgan Atwater won possession to open the final 15 minutes, leading to a Lexi Atwater goal off a find by Shaw. Fredonia answered with a goal following a failed clear attempt, but after a green card by the hosts, Lexi Atwater scored her fifth of the day on a find by Shannon Lewis to net a man-up goal.
  The Blue Devils brought the score as close as 15-10 with less than six minutes to play, but the Hawks countered with goals by Lexi Atwater and Shaw to close out the game with the comfortable, 17-10 victory.
 
SUNY New Paltz dominated in nearly every aspect, out-shooting Fredonia, 38-18, including 28-12 in shots on goal. It won the turnover battle, 15-22 and picked up more ground balls, 26-15, while winning more draws, 18-13.
 
The offense was cooking for the Hawks with four different players registering five-plus points and two others with two-plus. Lexi Atwater continued her standout junior campaign and had a game-high six goals on 11 shots, while adding one ground ball. Padilla followed, matching a career-high five assists. Morgan Atwater and Shaw each had four goals, an assist and a game-high seven draws while Atwater led the game with six ground balls while Shaw followed with four. Baldinger added one goal and one assist with four ground balls, two caused turnovers and a draw control. Morgan Woolley led the team defensively with four caused turnovers.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns home and continues SUNYAC play, hosting Potsdam at 4 p.m. on North Turf Field.


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