Buffalo, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz won its second straight game on the week after capturing a 14-7 road win over hosting Buffalo State Saturday.
 
The Hawks improved to 9-4 overall and 5-1 in the SUNYAC, while the Bengals dropped to 8-4 and 3-2, respectively.
 
Lexi Atwater was the offensive catalyst, as she finished with seven goals and an assist, tying career highs in goals and points with both landing third and fifth, respectively, on the program's single season record books.
 
The Bengals narrowly took the game's opening lead, but the goal was taken back on a crease violation. SUNY New Paltz took advantage and quickly transitioned the ball up the field leading to an Atwater fastbreak goal for the two-goal swing in the beginning minute of the match. Atwater capitalized again in transition, as the Hawks defense forced an errant pass that was picked up by Atwater at the restraining line. Atwater ran the distance of the field and was the beneficiary off a pass from Ava Padilla for her second goal.
 
Atwater pushed her team's lead to 3-0 two minutes later after Buffalo State was hit with a green card. SUNY New Paltz did well to move the ball around, allowing Atwater to slip open on a cut with Helena Willis finding the senior for the score.
 
The Hawks had a prime opportunity to stack goals as the Bengals were handed consecutive yellow cards, giving the visitors a two-man advantage. However, the offense looked out of sync as they tallied just a single shot in the sequence with two turnovers forcing SUNY New Paltz coach Christopher Biddle to call a timeout to regroup his side.  
Buffalo State was given a green card after getting caught offsides and the Hawks nearly threw away another opportunity on the power play on an overthrown pass on the offensive end. SUNY New Paltz forced a turnover and still up, got the ball back down ot its offensive end with Atwater scoring just as both sides got even.

The Hawks took a 5-0 lead into the second quarter following a goal from Padilla. The stretch started with a good 1-v-1 defense from SUNY New Paltz junior defender Amy Whitman who stood up her man and forced a charge call, resulting in a Buffalo State turnover. The Hawks capitalized on the other end, as Mia Baldinger found Padilla with 90 seconds left in the quarter to extend the run to five.
 
The Bengals sparked some offense in the second, scoring on the break to end the shutout five minutes into the period. They found the back of the net again with 6:30 left, answering an Allison Beattie goal with an open look in front of cage.
 
Atwater re-upped the five-goal cushion with less than four minutes left. Senior defender Sam Wohlmut aided in the sequence, pressuring her man behind the net and getting off a clean back check before picking up the ground ball and starting her team the other way. Atwater scored on the other end of the restraining line, finishing on a feed from Beattie.

Buffalo State capitalized one final time in the half with about 90 seconds left and then won the ensuing draw control looking to double-down in the final minute. However, the Hawks defense anchored in. Whitman again played stand-up defense, forcing her man to turn into Samantha Gemmo who came over to help, which resulted in a turnover. With urgency, Gemmo picked up the ball and quickly transitioned the other way with 30 seconds ticking down in the half. Baldinger found herself with the ball in her stick behind the cage, liked the matchup and burned her man working around the crease, firing for the goal as the buzzer sounded to give her team an 8-3 lead at the break.
 
Although the Bengals never went away in the second half, SUNY New Paltz maintained control. Atwater put away her seventh of the day with seven minutes left in the third quarter to bring the lead to 11-4 with freshman midfielder Alex DiRusso getting in on the action, netting her second goal of the season to pile onto the advantage, 12-4 entering the fourth.
 
Buffalo State held the ball to end the period and immediately scored to start the fourth quarter. Beattie helped re-establish the six-goal cushion, scoring man-up three minutes later. The Bengals answered with consecutive goals, but the Hawks held them there with DiRusso finding the back of the net one last time, rifling a shot off the hash to score a free position goal to solidify the 14-7 outcome for her team.
 
Along with pacing the offense, Atwater added three ground balls and two draws. Beattie followed offensively with two goals and two assists, while Baldinger had two goals and an assist with a caused turnover. Piper Mascaros and Gabriella Tommaso split time in goal and finished with seven and two saves, respectively.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Wednesday, returning home to host Plattsburgh at 4 p.m. on North Turf Field.


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