New Paltz Field Hockey Advances to SUNYAC Final After 2-1 Win Over Oneonta

New Paltz, NY — The Hawks are back in a SUNYAC Final.
 
For the second coNew Paltz, NY — The Hawks are back in a SUNYAC Final.
 
For the second consecutive season, the State University of New York New Paltz clinched its spot in the conference championship game, setting up a re-match of last year's SUNYAC Final between them and the Cortland Red Dragons.
 
Before the highly anticipated matchup against Cortland was set, the Hawks needed to get past the other Red Dragons of Oneonta who gave the hosts a tough game. SUNY New Paltz needed a late goal by Miranda Britton to push itself through to the championship game despite dominating possession and opportunities on net.
 
The Hawks kept Oneonta without a shot on goal in the first half, as it held possession in their offensive half for the majority of the opening 30 minutes. Although they generated nine corners in the first two periods, they managed just seven shots off those opportunities, as the Red Dragons defended well off the set play.
 
Hannah Ackerman nearly gave SUNY New Paltz the 1-0 lead four minutes into the third quarter after earning a corner for her team. Miranda Britton inserted directly to Ackerman who fired, but the ball was just outside the circle with the goal disallowed, keeping the game at a scoreless stalemate.
 
Oneonta countered off the change of the possession and fired its first shot of the game in the 35th minute, but Hawks goalie Gail Comiskey (two saves) was there to make the save. SUNY New Paltz quickly transitioned the other way and Amanda Quenneville got the ball in front of the cage, but in the scrum, the Red Dragons pushed the ball out directly to Hawks freshman Sophia Bronzi. The back took a chance on cage, firing into the corner for her first collegiate goal while giving her team a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes to go in the period.
 
"That felt very special, wouldn't have rather it any other way than helping us move onto the next game," Bronzi said. "It felt really good. This win means the most to us. I mean every win means the most to us, but it being playoffs it felt awesome that I was helping out the whole team."

nsecutive season, the State University of New York New Paltz clinched its spot in the conference championship game, setting up a re-match of last year's SUNYAC Final between them and the Cortland Red Dragons.
 
Before the highly anticipated matchup against Cortland was set, the Hawks needed to get past the other Red Dragons of Oneonta who gave the hosts a tough game. SUNY New Paltz needed a late goal by Miranda Britton to push itself through to the championship game despite dominating possession and opportunities on net.
 
The Hawks kept Oneonta without a shot on goal in the first half, as it held possession in their offensive half for the majority of the opening 30 minutes. Although they generated nine corners in the first two periods, they managed just seven shots off those opportunities, as the Red Dragons defended well off the set play.
 
Hannah Ackerman nearly gave SUNY New Paltz the 1-0 lead four minutes into the third quarter after earning a corner for her team. Miranda Britton inserted directly to Ackerman who fired, but the ball was just outside the circle with the goal disallowed, keeping the game at a scoreless stalemate.
 
Oneonta countered off the change of the possession and fired its first shot of the game in the 35th minute, but Hawks goalie Gail Comiskey (two saves) was there to make the save. SUNY New Paltz quickly transitioned the other way and Amanda Quenneville got the ball in front of the cage, but in the scrum, the Red Dragons pushed the ball out directly to Hawks freshman Sophia Bronzi. The back took a chance on cage, firing into the corner for her first collegiate goal while giving her team a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes to go in the period.
 
"That felt very special, wouldn't have rather it any other way than helping us move onto the next game," Bronzi said. "It felt really good. This win means the most to us. I mean every win means the most to us, but it being playoffs it felt awesome that I was helping out the whole team."

Oneonta threatened nearing quarter's end, getting the ball down field with 30 seconds ticking down on the game clock. Alexandra Howell got behind SUNY New Paltz's defense and fired a shot that nearly found the back of the net, but Hawks back Madelyn Graves was there to steer the attempt away for the defensive save and preserve the 1-0 lead entering the fourth.
 
The Red Dragons then shocked SUNY New Paltz with a quick score to open up the final quarter. Erin Clark scored for the Red Dragons to even the game at ones with still 14 minutes left in regulation.

SUNY New Paltz continued earning opportunities in its circle and after consecutive corners, earned a penalty stroke with eight minutes left in the game. Ackerman stepped up to take the attempt and tried slotting her shot bottom left corner, but Red Dragons goalie Maura Lieb read the play well and made the stop. She dove and used her body to get in front of the attempt, but in turn needed a moment to regroup from the play causing a stoppage in the game for about 10 minutes.

The stoppage seemingly stalled some Red Dragons momentum, and allowed SUNY New Paltz to push forward, picking up its fifth-year senior captain. Four minutes later, the Hawks finally did finish the chance they needed to push them on top.
 
Rachel Tama earned the team another penalty corner, which was inserted by Britton. Quenneville had the initial shot on goal that was saved by Lieb, but Oneonta couldn't clear the ball away from goal. Quenneville found the loose ball and fed a pass through the traffic in front of net for Britton waiting on the post, who one-timed a shot into the back of the net for the go-ahead score.
 
"I know it can be heart-breaking, but we knew we just had to come back from that, and we really just had to flush it," Bronzi said of the missed stroke following the Red Dragons' equalizer. "We just regrouped and [needed to be] ball hungry in the circle, but also capitalizing in the attacking circle was important and not letting them come back down."
 
SUNY New Paltz held on from there, preventing the Red Dragons anything else on net, closing on the 2-1 win.
 
Quenneville led the team in shots with five all of which were on goal. Ackerman and Tama followed with three apiece. As a team, the Hawks out-shot the Red Dragons, 16-4 in the game including 15-4 in shots on goal.
 
SUNY New Paltz's road to its first SUNYAC title since 2021 continues with it once again going through Cortland. The top seeded Red Dragons defeated No. 4 seed Oswego Wednesday in the other semifinal to put themselves back into the championship game for the seventh consecutive season. The Hawks fell to No. 8 nationally ranked Cortland 11 days ago, 5-1. They will look to avenge that loss in the most important game of the season Saturday at SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex starting at 1 p.m.
 
"We watched a lot of film on Cortland after the game," Bronzi said. "We played an alright game the first time around, but we're just even more hungry for the win the second time playing and we're excited, we're hype."