Union, NJ — After falling in double-digits to a No. 14 TCNJ team Saturday, the State University of New York New Paltz bounced back and earned a win over a future NJAC counterpart as it used a first quarter scoring barrage to come away with a comfortable 16-5 victory over hosting Kean Wednesday.
 
The Hawks improved to 4-3 overall with the victory and had one of most balanced offensive performances of the year totaling 13 assists in the victory, second most of the season, while finishing with the best shooting percentage of the year at nearly 70 percent. The defense, meanwhile, remained stout forcing 16 Kean turnovers — seven of which came in the first quarter — with goalies Piper Mascaros and Gabriella Tommaso having great afternoons combining for 16 stops and five goals against.
 
Kean was the first on the board, slipping underneath a double for an open shot in front of goal. The Cougars gifted the ball back three minutes later with the hosts lining up on center hash for a free position. When the whistle blew, the ball slipped out of the Cougars stick and junior defender Amy Whitman was there to scoop up the loose ball to then clear the other way, leading to a Katie Picarello free position on the other side. The two-goal swing was immediate, as Picarello took advantage of a three-second call to score on the 8-meter and tie the score.
 
The Hawks took the lead with nine minutes to go in the period, as their attack worked hard to win the ball back with Kean forcing a pass in traffic, which led to a ground ball for Lexi Atwater. SUNY New Paltz settled and zipped the ball around quickly, as Samantha Gemmo found Allison Beattie who fed a cutting Mia Baldinger with the senior finishing going downhill through defenders for the score.
 
The defense then stood up on several stands in the next offensive set for the Cougars, leading to a momentum swing in the waning minutes of the quarter. Whitman forced a turnover, quickly identifying the open man following a double on ball. She slid up and picked the attended pass and started down field, but the Hawks couldn't clear successful with Kean earning another possession on offense. SUNY New Paltz stayed steadfast, providing pressure and forcing an errant overthrow to win the ball back once more. Senior defender Sam Wohlmut then launched a 30-yard pass to a Gemmo in transition leading to an eventual Atwater goal off a pass from Baldinger.
Atwater picked up the ensuing draw control win and passed back to her defense who swiftly switched fields and moved the ball up leading to another Baldinger goal off an assist from Beattie to add onto the scoreboard 20 seconds later. A Mascaros save on the Cougars' next offensive possession was followed with a goal as Ava Padilla zipped a pass to a cutting Beattie two minutes later to up the score, 5-1.
 
Whitman forced the ball loose as she got into the hip of her man. She tallied the ground ball and began her team on the break with Atwater finding an open Padilla in front of net who used a little head-fake to move Kean's goalie before placing another into the net with about 90 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Whitman was again the defensive catalyst that resulted in SUNY New Paltz's last goal of the period, as she slid on a pass inside to jar the ball loose before Aiylin Rutnik picked up the ground ball to start her team in transition, as the Hawks seamlessly connected down field on pass after pass before Padilla scored another off a Beattie assist to end the quarter, 7-1.
 
Gemmo earned the ensuing draw and held possession allowing SUNY New Paltz to maintain control entering the second. The team capitalized with Gemmo feeding Helena Wills on a skip pass up top with the junior midfielder getting downhill and finishing with her right far pipe to establish an 8-1 cushion. Gemmo was the benefactor two goals later, as the Hawks moved the ball around quickly to get the Cougars defense moving, leading to Picarello finding Gemmo on the cut for the score. Padilla officially gave her team their first 10-goal cushion, as Baldinger found Padilla coming around the crease for the score to boost the lead 11-1 with 4:45 to go in the half.  
 
Kean scored before halftime and held some momentum to start the third quarter and trimmed the deficit to 11-3 five minutes into the third. Samantha DeLucca got in on the action and finished on a pass from Padilla in transition, but Kean answered with four minutes to go in the period on a free position. Whitman got her stick on the shot, but the attempt still had enough spin to trickle past Tommaso for the score, trimming the difference to 12-4.  
Sophomore defender Maddy Luongo helped her side to its final goal of the quarter, forcing a turnover on a double before registering a ground ball that turned into a Baldinger score with less than a minute to go to establish a nine-goal advantage. The Cougars then netted one more on the day which came midway through the fourth on a free position, but SUNY New Paltz immediately answered. Willis won the ensuing draw and Beatie fed Atwater for a goal. The junior then added one last assist to close out the game with DeLucca the beneficiary to cement the 16-5 final.
 
The offense was spread around for the Hawks. Beattie had a game-high seven points, which also tied a career-high, stemmed from a career-high six assists that also ranked tied for third-most in single game program history. Baldinger followed with six points on three goals and three assists, while adding two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Atwater and Padilla each had five points with Atwater adding four ground balls, two caused turnovers and a game-high six draws, while Padilla added a ground ball and caused turnover.
 
Whitman led the team defensively, matching Atwater with four ground balls, while finishing with a game-high three caused turnovers with both categories tying a career-high. Mascaros earned the win and totaled seven saves, while Tommaso closed the final 30 minutes and registered nine stops.
 
SUNY New Paltz returns home Saturday to begin its final SUNYAC slate for the program, hosting SUNY Canton at 11 a.m. on North Turf Field.


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