The SUNY Oneonta field hockey team was knocked out of the SUNYAC tournament today after visiting New Paltz defeated the Red Dragons 3-2 in its semifinal contest.  Oneonta finishes its season 11-8 overall while New Paltz (13-6) advances to the conference championship game for a third consecutive year in search of its third straight title.  New Paltz will host SUNY Geneseo, who upset top-seeded SUNY Cortland today 2-1.
 
The Hawks jumped out quickly in today's game with a pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes of the contest, which put the Red Dragons behind the eight ball.
 
The opening goal for New Paltz came on its second penalty corner of the game, as junior Jessica Caruana scored from the top of the circle after senior Deirdre O'Neill inserted the ball.  It was Caruana's fourth goal of the season and came in the fifth minute.
 
Five minutes later, the Hawks made it 2-0 on freshman Justine O'Reilly's 11^th goal of the season.  O'Reilly was able to get her stick on a crossing pass into the circle by sophomore Erin Landry and redirect it by Oneonta goalie Tess Tracy (Liverpool/Liverpool).
 
Oneonta cut the lead in half in the 24^th minute on a goal by senior Kelcy Forbragd (Camden/Camden).  Forbragd was in the right place at the right time on a ball that came into the circle and managed to continue past a New Paltz defender before Forbragd knocked it home.
 
New Paltz took its 2-1 lead and 9-2 shot advantage into halftime.
 
The Hawks continued to carry the play early in the second half and was able to push its lead back to two goals less than seven minutes in.  Sophomore Kayla McKeveny made a tremendous individual move to dribble the ball into the circle before scoring on a reverse stick shot that bounced over the pads of Tracy.
 
Oneonta was not going to go quietly in this one, as they fought back to get to within one goal again in the 55^th minute.  Sophomore Bailee Barrett (Camden/Camden) made an outstanding rush up the left wing and into the circle where she got off an attempt that went off the pads of the New Paltz goalie.  Senior Andrea Day (Greene/Greene), who had charged into the circle with Barrett and was able to hit the ball as it was bouncing to the back of the goal.  It was Day's 16^th goal of the year, as she finished her four-year career with 52 goals, which puts her in the top-5 all-time.
 
Tracy finished the game with seven saves while freshman goalie, Alayna Wageman of New Paltz, made one save.