New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz collected a 15-5 win Saturday on North Turf Field over visiting Buffalo State on Senior Day.
 
The Hawks improved to 10-3 overall and 5-1 in the SUNYAC with the victory, while handing the Bengals their first conference loss of the season as they dropped to 11-3 and 5-1, respectively, in an uncharacteristically snowy April game day for SUNY New Paltz with the start time pushed to a delayed start as large white snowflakes filtered down on North Turf Field.
 
The snow game coincided with Senior Day, as SUNY New Paltz celebrated its lone four-year seniors Francesca Corozzo and Kira Tucker prior to the game with both securing a point to aid in the victory. Corozzo, a four-year starting defender for the Hawks, tallied her first point of her career as she aided in a dominant 5-0 first quarter. Corozzo picked up a ground ball following a Buffalo State turnover and ran down field and across the opposite restraining line before finding Lexi Atwater for the score to push the cushion to 4-0 with still 10 minutes to go in the period.
 
Tucker, meanwhile, registered her goal late in the third quarter on a nice cut with Ava Padilla slipping a nifty pass in front of the net to an open Tucker taking advantage of a Bengals late slide. Tucker was hammered before getting the shot off, but that didn't deter her from painting the top left corner for the score, which pushed the SUNY New Paltz lead to 10-3.
 
The Tucker goal was a part of a 4-0 run in the period after the Bengals cut into the deficit 7-3 to end the half. Kaitlyn Shaw got the stretch started two minutes into the third quarter, thanks to a caused turnover and ground ball pick up by Sam Wohlmut on the defensive end. Shaw took advantage, lasering a shot top pipe for the score to ignite the Hawks' four unanswered goal run. Shaw scored again with nine minutes remaining in the period, as she finished on a feed by Padilla. Shaw was on the facilitating side following Tucker's score after Morgan Atwater won the ensuing draw control. Shaw threaded a pass to Lexi Atwater for her fourth of the day before Allison Beattie capped the stanza with an unassisted score following another draw control win by Morgan Atwater.
 
 
Morgan Atwater gave SUNY New Paltz a running clock with a goal less than a minute into the fourth, but Buffalo State answered after winning the ensuing draw. The 10-goal difference was reinstated with 11 minutes to play, as Shaw capitalized off a caused turnover and ground ball pickup by Corozzo. The Bengals tacked on one last goal with two minutes to spare, but Morgan Atwater tallied the last goal of the day for SUNY New Paltz to run out the clock on a 15-5 victory.  
Shaw led the way with six points on five goals and an assist, while adding two ground balls, two caused turnovers and three draw controls. Padilla and Lexi Atwater followed with four points apiece. Padilla had a game-high four assists, while adding a ground ball and a caused turnover, while Atwater had four goals with one ground ball, one caused turnover and one draw.
 
Corozzo had a career game, finishing with a career-high seven ground balls, which tied for fourth-most in single game history, while adding a game-high four caused turnovers. Wohlmut followed with three ground balls and three caused turnovers, while Morgan Atwater had a game-high five ground balls with two goals, an assist and a caused turnover. Piper Mascaros and Gabriella Tommaso split time in goal and combined for four saves in the win.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Tuesday, as it heads on the road to face SUNY Plattsburgh at 3 p.m.
 

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