Box Score New Paltz, NY -- Ryan Martinez received the ball at his feet, following a punch by State University of New York at New Paltz goalkeeper John Guzzo off a corner by visiting SUNY Potsdam. Martinez turned and saw open field in front of him, so he pushed forward and realized teammate Manny Flory was making a run down field. Martinez then delivered a perfectly lofted ball 30 yards to Flory running on, who took a touch and capped off the Hawks' illustrious day to earn their first SUNYAC victory of the season Friday.

"Well, first when I was heading up the field I heard everyone cheering on and I thought they were cheering for me. But then realizing, I looked up and saw Manny and just played a good ball in and he did the rest," Martinez recalled, following a day where he registered a goal and assist to lead his team to a 3-0 victory. "It feels great, just getting the first win in the conference and hopefully we can head into another great game tomorrow."

SUNY New Paltz (5-7 overall, 1-4 SUNYAC) switched its lineup and formation after suffering through a four-game losing streak, and had just three days of practice before implementing it Friday. The change paid dividends against Potsdam (5-6 overall, 1-3 SUNYAC), as the Hawks took an early 1-0 lead in the 28^th minute following a strong start.

James Hennessy took a throw by the corner flag on the Bears' defensive half. Luke Dole headed the ball out to Adam Romanski, who put a dangerous ball toward frame that deflected off the hands of Potsdam goalkeeper Keagen Briggs and the crossbar. Nick Comiskey came crashing in and was in perfect position to knock in the rebound to give SUNY New Paltz a 1-0 advantage.

"We felt like the last two weekends we haven't caught a break. Not that we deserved results in those games, but it just seemed like every time breaks were going against us," said Hawks coach Kyle Clancy. "We were fortunate with that, but you also have to be in the right spot and follow the play up. He didn't quit on it and it was a big goal for us. That could be a big swing for our season and just picking up a little bit more momentum."

The goal advantage lasted through halftime, with the Hawks out-shooting the Bears 7-2 within the first 45 minutes.

SUNY New Paltz continued finding opportunities in its final third, earning two corners in the first 10 minutes of the second half. But its next goal didn't come off a set piece, but a defensive stop that turned into a quick counter the other way.

Aleco Podias and Martinez worked down the field to earn a two on one against the Bears. Podias then laid the ball off to Martinez who slotted his shot perfectly into the far corner to push the Hawks lead, 2-0, in the 56^th minute.

"They were leaving gaps in the middle," Martinez explained.  "So I was just trying to get forward, try to get in front of the strikers and luckily Aleco played me in and I was able to finish."

Comiskey nearly added to SUNY New Paltz's lead in the 68^th and 80^th minute on a goal called back due to a hand-ball, and another attempt inside the six-yard box that ricocheted off the post and out of play.

But shortly after the Hawks found the back of the net one more time in the 82^nd minute, taking advantage of the Bears' numbers pushed forward to finalize the 3-0 outcome.

"I thought the second half we came out with a lot of good energy, but we just couldn't be dangerous enough in the box," said Potsdam coach Adam Parker. "They were better defending in the box, then we made a mistake and got a second goal. We pushed players on and got the third goal. So, it was just one of those days."

SUNY New Paltz got contributions from a variety of different players, specifically Andres Salcedo who got his first start at center back this season, Khalil Scott-Ludewig up top, along with Comiskey and Flory off the bench.

"It was awesome. Andres… he stepped up and played fantastic. Khalil got his first start. He was great. When you have a couple guys start the game, and in this conference you need depth, you need guys who come off the bench and have an impact," Clancy said. "For Manny to get a goal was great, for Nick to play as well as he did was great. If we continue that then we'll be able to get some results."

The Hawks ultimately held the advantage on shots (12-6), shots on target (7-2) and corners (6-1) in the game.

Briggs finished with four saves, while Guzzo totaled two stops for the Hawks.

"They were fighting for their life and we should be fighting for our lives, because we're both toward the bottom of the league," Parker said. "Those three points were the most valuable thing… I think both teams made mistakes, but they capitalized on the ones we had. They didn't have a lot of glaring mistakes, but we didn't capitalize on anything that they actually gave us. The game just kind of got further and further away from us."

SUNY New Paltz hopes to continue its momentum Saturday, as it hosts Plattsburgh State for a 1 p.m. game.
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