NEW PALTZ – Behind two goals from senior forward Morgan Lizotte, the top-seeded SUNY New Paltz field hockey team (15-4) marched on to the championship final of the SUNYAC championship tournament, as the Hawks downed fourth-seeded SUNY Oneonta (12-7) by a 3-1 score in the semifinal round on Friday at the Turf Field.

New Paltz, which advances to the SUNYAC final for the first time in program history, will square off with SUNY Cortland tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Turf Field with an automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament and a conference title on the line.

Lizotte put the Hawks on the board in the 21st minute, as she used passes from Conklin and freshman midfielder/defender Jessica Caruana off a penalty corner to put one past the Red Dragon goalkeeper.  Junior midfielder Lauren Link doubled New Paltz's lead at 31:05, as she rattled the back of the cage unassisted to provide the eventual halftime margin of 2-0.

While the Hawks held a 5-1 edge in shots in the first half, the Red Dragons countered with 10 shots in the final 35 minutes of play.

Oneonta made it a one-goal game at 45:26, as sophomore Andrea Day (Greene/Greene) scored off an Ashley Morgan (Putnam Valley/Putnam Valley) feed.  The Red Dragons continued to push toward netting the equalizer, and they even held the Hawks scoreless while one of their players sat out with a yellow card late in the second half. New Paltz, however, received an insurance score in the final minute of play from Lizotte, who directed a pass from junior defender Alyssa Stock into the back of the cage.

Junior goalkeeper Antonija Pjetri stood tall in the win, stopping six shots. Her counterpart, Tess Tracy (Liverpool/Liverpool), suffered the loss, making one save. Oneonta's Bridgette Robinson (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) also contributed to the Red Dragons' defense with one defensive save.