New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz opened up its 2025 campaign in dominant fashion against the Gators of Sage College Friday on South Turf Field with two former Gators earning career firsts against their former team in the 4-0 season opening win.
Graduate forward
Kennedy Jones transferred from Sage a year ago and was the catalyst in the victory, as she secured her first two-point performance as a Hawk, scoring a goal and adding an assist to lead the way in the eventual victory. Meanwhile, SUNY New Paltz Interim Head Coach
Samantha Trimblett, who was one of the best strikers in Gators history, suiting up for the program from 2015-2018, earned her first career head coaching victory in the 4-0 triumph.
The Hawks held possession for the entirety of the first half, as midfielders
Laney Schmitz,
Alyssa Deutsch and
Mia Baldinger owned the middle of the field, constantly winning back possession to control the tempo for the hosts, which resulted in build-up play in their offensive third.
It didn't take long for SUNY New Paltz to strike first on the board, as Deutsch sliced a ball through to Jones who beat her defender and poked a ball past the goalkeeper coming off her line.
Brooke Kelleher was there to clean up in front of the goal to give her team the initial 1-0 lead three minutes into the match.
Six minutes later, Jones found the back of the net stemmed off a 50-50 ball won in the air by Schmitz. Deutsch gained possession and snuck a ball behind the back line for Jones who placed her shot into the corner for the goal.
SUNY New Paltz narrowly added on midway through the first half, as Baldinger lofted a beautiful looking corner toward the back corner that found the head of a sailing Schmitz. Sage goalkeeper Emma Fogarty managed to get a hand on the shot, deflecting enough to hit off the crossbar with Kelleher's follow going wide of frame.
Baldinger created once more, changing the field with a ball over the top to outside back
Erin Savarese who made a good run down the opposite end. Savarese played freshman
Samantha Gemmo who one-timed a laser at goal, but Fogarty made the stop with Schmitz's rebound attempt going just over the goal.
However, SUNY New Paltz did tally one more before half thanks to sophomore forward
Abby Macleod who subbed in and scored 10 minutes after her entry. The Hawks stayed vigilant in the midfield with Baldinger winning the ball back, spinning out from two defenders and seeing Macleod through. The pass deflected off a defender to the feet of Macleod who did the rest on a clinical finish into the corner to add to the lead with nine minutes left in the opening period.
Sage had some life to start the second half and registered its first shot of the game three minutes into period, as a ball played down the sideline gave them a look at goal, but the attempt went high. Its scoring chances were limited there, though, as SUNY New Paltz locked back in and continued to dominate for the remainder of the game.
Freshman
Brooke Rosenberg nearly saw her first collegiate goal, as she took an attempt just inside the box that almost snuck behind the goalie but was corralled before the ball crossed the goal line.
The Hawks final goal came in the 82nd minute, as Deutsch had space and ripped a shot close range at the keeper with the deflection bouncing to the feet of Schmitz atop the box. The senior, off one bounce, struck the ball off the volley straight into the corner for her first of the year.
SUNY New Paltz finished with 15 shots, eight on target, while the Gators had two shots, non on frame with the Hawks earning nine corners to Sage's one.
Schmitz led the team offensively with three shots, two on goal with one score in 82 minutes. Deutsch and Kelleher followed with two shots apiece, as Kelleher added a goal in 55 minutes and Deutsch finished with two assists in 59 minutes on the field. Centeri played all 90 in net and didn't need to make a stop with center backs
Grace Lien and
Sam Wohlmut the only others for the Hawks to play all 90 minutes in the shutout.
SUNY New Paltz resumes play Sunday, as it goes on the road to face the No. 2 team in the country in the William Smith Herons in Geneva, NY at 12 p.m.
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