For their collective performance in the Fall 2024 season, SUNY New Paltz Hawks ranked second in the 2024-2025 Dr. Patrick R. Damore Commissioner’s Cup, with a score of 8/10.
The Commissioner’s Cup, first awarded in the 1996-1997 athletic year, ranks 10 SUNY schools on a 10-point scale for each of the 22 different conference sports across the fall, winter and spring seasons. Those points are then averaged out and a winner is declared. SUNY Cortland recently reclaimed the title from SUNY Geneseo for the 2023-2024 year.
For the fall season, SUNY New Paltz averaged an 8/10, with women’s soccer ranking 9.75/10, field hockey ranking 9/10, women’s cross country ranking 8/10, volleyball ranking 7.5/10, men’s cross country ranking 7/10 and men’s soccer ranking 6.75/10. These rankings include both the regular-season and postseason finishes of each team. The Hawks stand 1.71 points behind the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons. Compared to the 2023 fall season’s standings, however, the Hawks climbed the ranks from fourth place to second by 1.83 points. The final scores will be tallied and the Commissioner’s Cup winner will be announced once the winter and spring season standings are finalized.
It was a record-smashing season for women’s soccer, who entered their postseason for the first time in the team’s history seeded No. 1, pitted up against the former SUNYAC champions, the Cortland Red Dragons. On Nov. 9, the team clinched the SUNYAC championship in a stunning 2-0 victory, earning their bid in the NCAA Tournament — the second conference title win in the program’s history. The victory came as result of months of determination and rigorous play, closing out with a .800 winning percentage and 15 overall wins under their belt, breaking the previous team’s record of most wins in a single season. They fell to the Amherst Mammoths in the first round of nationals, but the victories they’ve been building up to in the last four years are sure to make a lasting impact on the program for years to come.
“I think it’s a true testament to what our program accomplished and achieved throughout this fall,” said head coach Mike Eckberg. “Our student-athletes truly dedicated themselves this fall to pursuing excellence. It’s great to see that they get the recognition that they deserve. It befits them.”
Field hockey also boasted a highly competitive and successful season, claiming the No. 2 seed as they entered the SUNYAC tournament. Traveling to the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex on Nov. 9 to compete in the SUNYAC final championship game, the Hawks fell 2-1. Despite this loss, the team closed out the season with a 14-6 overall record and a 3-1 conference record, having made it to the SUNYAC bracket for the ninth year in a row and ranking No. 21 at the national level.
Both the women’s and men’s cross country teams reached numerous achievements and set new records of their own, with over 75 new personal bests across eight meets in the season. Cross country head coach Thomas Hartnett Jr. reflected on the teams’ performances, saying, “We had dedicated teams this year, and the work that the athletes put in really showed at the SUNYAC championships. We were able to achieve our best team finishes since 2019 and help the department move up in commissioners cup points for the year.”
In addition to sweeping the New Paltz and Fred Pavlich Invitationals, the teams also competed in the SUNYAC Championships and NCAA Regionals. In the SUNYAC championships, the women’s team placed third for the second time in the program’s history, moving up four places from their 2023 finish. The men’s team came in fourth place, also moving up by four places compared to 2023. As for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, the women’s team ranked 17th in the 6k race, climbing up two places since 2023 while the men ranked 16th in the 8k race, staying consistent with their placement from last year. Though the season is over, the teams will be returning in the spring to attend the Ramapo College Track and Field Invitational.
Women’s volleyball powered through the fall season with a 16-13 overall record, entering the SUNYAC semi-finals round seeded at No. 4. Though they ultimately fell to the Cortland Red Dragons 3-0, the team played a tough season, competing in a variety of tournaments across states, scoring a .552 overall winning percentage.
“It is exciting to see New Paltz as high as second in the Commissioner’s Cup standings after the fall season,” said head coach Matt Giufre. “While we fell short of our goal of winning the SUNYAC Championship, I am pleased we were able to score high enough to help our department achieve this standing. We had a very young team this year, and the growth from the start of the season to the end was tremendous.”
The men’s soccer team finished a tough season with a 9-8-2 overall record, having a bid in the SUNYAC tournament and making it to the playoffs as the No. 5 seeded team. They fell to No. 1 seed Buffalo State 2-1 on Nov. 6 in the semifinal match, but their work throughout the season allowed them to close out the season with major victories under their belt.
In response to the Commissioner’s Cup standings, head coach Kyle Clancy said, “It felt great to contribute to the overall second place standing in the fall. It has been a department goal to push for the number one spot … Seeing each other have high levels of success inspires us and drives us to keep working hard to reach our goal to finish on top.”
For Clancy, despite the loss, “to advance to the semi-finals for the second time in four years and make the playoffs for a fourth straight season was a good team accomplishment, and we hope to continue this success and push deeper into the playoffs to help us reach that goal of finishing first in the Commissioner’s Cup.”
Monica D’Ippolito, Senior Director of Athletic Communications, Marketing and Social Media, commented on behalf of the Athletics Department, saying, “I think all of our fall programs did well … it really reflects how good our programs, our coaches and our student-athletes are.”
With the winter season ongoing, it is yet to be determined whether the Hawks can keep their second place standing.
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