Box Score NEW PALTZ, NY - Fresh off of a season-opening shutout win over SUNY Poly on Wednesday, the Utica University women's lacrosse team shook a quick turnaround to defeat the SUNY New Paltz Hawks 7-4 on the road on Thursday afternoon.
Katie Crofoot (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) registered a hat trick in the win while also adding an assist to her three goal day.
Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) had a multi-goal game as well, netting a pair to go with a team-high five ground balls.
Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and
Alyssa Drell (Mastic, NY/William Floyd) each had one goal in the win as well.
In goal,
Breese Burlinggame (Binghamton, NY/Northfield Mount Hermon) picked up her second win of the season as she totaled 15 saves on 19 shots on goal.
The Pioneers were efficient all afternoon scoring seven goals on 15 total attempts while limiting the Hawks to four goals on 19 looks on net. Utica also successfully cleared 19 of 21 attempts.
Utica couldn't ask for a better start to the game with a five goal first quarter. Crofoot kicked things off just two minutes into the game with an unassisted goal before the team went off for four more in a near 2:30 span near the end of the first.
Stuhlman scored on back-to-back shots at 3:41 and 3:18 with assists by Drell and
Abigail Gerling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), respectively. DeCondo followed up her six-goal performance on Wednesday with another tally at 2:30 off a
Daniela Muscari (Millbrook, NY/Millbrook) feed before Crofoot finished what she started with her second goal of the game with 1:22 left in the quarter. Burlinggame stopped each of the three New Paltz first quarter shots as well to preserve the 5-0 lead after one full.
The Hawks found the board in the second about six minutes in however, Crofoot responded not long after to complete the hat trick on another unassisted goal that would eventually send the Pioneers into halftime ahead 6-1.
Just as she ended the first half doing, Crofoot went into the second half making plays for the team. With 11:12 to play in the third, the junior assisted on Drell's goal for a convincing 7-1 lead.
However, New Paltz refused to shy away. Julia Longo came back with a pair of goals later in the quarter that brought the game to a 7-3 Pioneer advantage entering the fourth.
Over the final 15 minutes, Utica limited the Hawks to one goal on seven shots to deny any comeback attempt and come away with a 7-4 win.
Utica (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will return home on Saturday to take on Plattsburgh State at 3 p.m.
