NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The Oneonta field hockey team came up short in a hard fought SUNYAC tournament semifinal match and dropped to No. 21 nationally ranked New Paltz, 2-1, Wednesday afternoon. Oneonta tied the game with a goal from graduate student
Erin Clark (Somers, N.Y./Somers) early in the fourth period, but New Paltz scored in the closing minutes of regulation to take the match. Sophomore
Alexandra Howell (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) assisted Clark on the goal and junior
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) finished with 12 saves in the cage. The Red Dragons finished the season with an overall record of 9-9.
Following a scoreless first half, the Hawks took the lead at 35:23 with a goal by Sophia Bronzi. New Paltz had the ball in the shooting circle when Oneonta tried to hit it out, but Bronzi stopped it near the top of the circle and scored.
In the first minute of the fourth period, at 45:35, the Red Dragons tied the game off a penalty corner play. Freshman
Skyler Van Wormer (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) inbounded the ball to graduate student captain
Michaela Maniscalco (Northport, N.Y./Northport), and she passed it to her co-captain, Clark. The Somers, N.Y. native passed the ball to the right side to Howell, who sent it right back to Clark for the goal from the top of the shooting circle. The goal was Clark's eighth of the season and it was Howell's six assist overall.
Junior
Olivia Bonelli (Kerhonkson, N.Y./Rondout Valley) had the Red Dragons' last attempt to take the lead at 50:08 but was kick saved by Gail Comiskey. New Paltz scored the game-winner at 56:34 when Miranda Britton redirected Amanda Quenneville's shot into the goal.
Leib recorded 12 saves for the Red Dragons while Comiskey had two saves for the Hawks. New Paltz outshot Oneonta, 16-4 overall, 15-4 on target, and had an 18-2 advantage in penalty corners.
