NEW PALTZ, NY – The State University of New York New Paltz field hockey team celebrated Senior Day on North Turf Saturday afternoon, honoring four members of its senior class before taking on Stockton University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup.
Prior to the contest, SUNY New Paltz recognized Maya O'Keefe, Lil Schaub, Katie Singleton and Gabriella Barth for their contributions to the program.
Despite the setback, the Hawks showed resilience throughout the contest, highlighted by goals from Caydence Parker and junior Ashley McGough, along with several impressive defensive efforts. SUNY New Paltz held an 11-10 advantage in penalty corners while placing eight of its nine shots on goal.
Stockton applied pressure from the opening whistle, but senior Gabriella Barth delivered an early defensive highlight to keep the visitors off the board. With an Ospreys shot seemingly destined for the back of the cage just three minutes into the contest, Barth reacted quickly, extending her stick toward the elevated attempt and batting the ball down to deny what appeared to be a certain goal.
The Ospreys eventually broke through just over three minutes into the contest, as Jessica Bruther converted off a penalty corner opportunity, with Stella Devlin providing the assist. Devlin doubled the visitors' advantage less than four minutes later, finding the cage in the seventh minute to give Stockton a 2-0 lead entering the second quarter.
The visitors continued their offensive pressure in the second, with Devlin adding two more goals in the 18th and 22nd minutes to complete her hat trick and extend Stockton's lead to four.
SUNY New Paltz began finding its offensive rhythm midway through the second quarter, creating several opportunities off penalty corners. O'Keefe tested the Stockton goalkeeper in the 27th minute before Parker and O'Keefe followed with consecutive shots on goal just seconds apart, forcing Delfina Vanelli into a pair of saves.
The Hawks eventually broke through with just 21 seconds remaining in the opening half, as Parker converted a penalty stroke for her sixth goal of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-1 heading into halftime.
SUNY New Paltz continued battling in the third quarter, earning four penalty corners while keeping the Ospreys off the scoreboard. McGough registered the Hawks' lone shot of the period, but Vanelli turned away the attempt in the 36th minute.
Defensively, first-year goalkeeper Kate Comiskey helped keep the hosts within striking distance, making five saves in the third quarter as Stockton continued to apply pressure.
The Hawks carried their effort into the final period, continuing to pressure the Ospreys' defensive unit. McGough provided a spark for SUNY New Paltz, creating an opportunity entirely on her own. The junior stripped possession from a Stockton defender along the backline before breaking free toward the cage for a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. McGough made the most of the chance, firing home her team-leading seventh goal of the season to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 51st minute.
Stockton continued to threaten offensively, but Comiskey delivered one of the defensive highlights of the afternoon in the fourth quarter, showcasing her reflexes and determination on a dangerous two-on-one opportunity for the visitors. The first-year goalkeeper sprawled out to deny the initial attempt, but the rebound slipped behind her, leaving the Ospreys with what appeared to be an open cage. Comiskey refused to surrender the opportunity, recovering and launching herself into a second diving effort to turn away the point-blank follow-up and complete a remarkable double save.
The Hawks continued battling down the stretch, with Joleigh Kozack testing Vanelli in the 55th minute, but the Stockton goalkeeper preserved the visitors' advantage. The Ospreys added their final goal with eight seconds remaining as Meghan Phillips converted off an assist from Maura Somers to secure the 5-2 decision.
McGough and Parker paced the Hawks offensively with three shots apiece, while O'Keefe added two shots on goal. Comiskey finished with 11 saves across 41 minutes of action, while Grace Grant recorded three saves in 19 minutes. Barth contributed a defensive save for SUNY New Paltz.
Stockton held a 20-9 advantage in shots, while the Hawks finished with an 11-10 edge in penalty corners.
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