SCHENECTADY, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz field hockey team battled through a defensive road matchup against Union College Wednesday afternoon, holding the Garnet Chargers scoreless through three quarters before ultimately falling, 1-0, at Frank Bailey Field.
The Hawks leaned on another strong performance from goalkeeper Grace Grant and their defensive unit to stay even despite sustained pressure from Union throughout the afternoon.
SUNY New Paltz created its best offensive stretch early in the opening quarter. First year Katie Sauve registered the Hawks' lone shot of the game in the sixth minute, forcing Union goalkeeper Marion Stuntz into a save. The opportunity sparked a stretch of three penalty corners for SUNY New Paltz, with Maya O'Keefe earning back-to-back chances before Katie Singleton added another late in the period.
Union began generating pressure on the opposite end, but Grant stood firm. The sophomore made three saves over the final six minutes of the first quarter, turning away attempts from Caroline Ranucci twice and Katelyn Birnbaum to keep the game scoreless entering the second.
The Garnet Chargers increased their pressure in the ensuing period, registering six shots while earning three penalty corners. Grant stopped four attempts on cage, while Gabriella Barth came up with a defensive save on Amy Vytopilova in the 21st minute to preserve the deadlock.
SUNY New Paltz's defensive effort continued after halftime as Union generated four penalty corners in the third quarter. The Hawks denied each opportunity as Grant added two more saves to send the game into the final 15 minutes still scoreless.
The Garnet Chargers finally broke through at the 48:28 mark as Rowan Dapson set up Rachel Ostiguy to give Union the 1-0 advantage.
SUNY New Paltz kept the deficit at one the rest of the way, with Grant making two more stops in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks could not find an equalizer before the final whistle.
Union finished with a 16-1 advantage in shots, including a 12-1 edge in attempts on goal, while holding a 14-3 advantage in penalty corners. Grant finished the afternoon with 10 saves, while Barth's defensive save helped SUNY New Paltz hold the Garnet Chargers to just one goal on 12 attempts on cage.
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