SUNY New Paltz Women’s Soccer Soars Into Postseason

As the fall sports teams wrap up their seasons, women’s soccer prepares for the beginning of the postseason: the SUNYAC tournament. With a 4-0 win over Oswego at their Breast Cancer Awareness game on Oct. 26, the girls clinched the number one seed in the tournament for the first time in program history. They also clinched the regular season title. The team edged out reigning champion SUNY Cortland and automatically received a first-round bye. Qualifying for this tournament will be the program’s fourth consecutive time entering the postseason.

“Earning the number one seed in the conference for the first time in program history is a huge milestone for this team. When we first got to campus in August, we knew that this was where we wanted to be come November, so it is very fulfilling to see all of our hard work come to fruition,” said team co-captain and fourth-year forward Rachel Eisert. “While we are grateful to be in the position that we are in, this team continues to push themselves so that we can end our season with a conference title and have the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.”

This season, the girls led the conference in shots, goals scored, shot percentage, shots per game, and shots on goal. Against conference opponents, they scored 39 goals, and against all opponents, they scored 52 goals and had the most shutouts.

“The goals that we set out for our season have been process-focused, not outcome-based,” said head coach Mike Eckberg. “We have our hearts set on a SUNYAC title, but our eyes and ears are fixated on the present day – refining our craft, gaining more repetitions in training and enhancing our training environment.”

Eisert expressed a similar sentiment, stressing the importance of believing in your methods. “One of the biggest takeaways from the regular season that we will be bringing into the postseason is our belief in our process, our coaches and each other. This team has achieved amazing things so far this season, and it is a direct result of the trust and connections we have built,” said Eisert. “As long as we stick to who we are as a team, I have no doubt that we will find success in the rest of the season.”

With a roster of 27 talented girls, the team’s success comes from what each of them bring to the table. Co-captain and third-year outside back Hannah Wellinger has been key to the Hawks’ defensive backline all season, being named SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Week after the last week of the regular season. Consistently stellar performances from captain and fourth-year goalkeeper Maddie Franklin have led the team to having the most shutouts against all of the opponents that they faced this season. As a forward, Eisert earned SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks in October.

“There is not one player we put above anyone else. I believe our group of seniors are very special. Not because of their talents or skill sets, but because they compete every day with an unbridled passion and it has paid dividends for everyone in our program,” said Eckberg. “It has been exciting to see every single player in our program hit moments throughout this year where they have been the best versions of themselves. Our program goal is to pursue excellence and this group has done that day in and day out.” 

On Nov. 6, the team will face off against Fredonia Blue Devils on the South Turf Field, after the latter defeated the Buffalo State Bengals in a 2-0 shutout win on Nov. 2. The Hawks faced off against the Blue Devils during their Green Out game of the regular season on Oct. 5. The girls beat Fredonia in a shutout win that ended 2-0. 

“Although it is important to know who you will be facing in any game, what’s even more important is playing how we have all season and not changing our process to adapt to anyone else,” said Eisert. “We want teams to have to adapt to our style of play, and I think we have done a tremendous job of that so far. Training has been at the highest level that it has been all season and it continues to build every day.”

Echoing this statement, Eckberg said that the team’s main strategy going into the tournament is focusing on what they can control.

“Our strategy is to focus on the little details to make the big picture what we want it to become,” Eckberg said. “We are going to stay in the present, focus on our process and our controllables and do everything together.”

The women certainly accomplished a tremendous amount this season. They remained undefeated in conference play and lost only two matches out of a 17-game schedule. Their overall record was 13 wins, two losses and two draws. With the top seed in hand, the girls are now focusing on what is coming next. If SUNY New Paltz wins, they will move on to the championship match on Nov. 9, where they will face off against the winner of SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Cortland. The women ended their regular season game against Cortland in a draw on Sep. 28 while they defeated Oneonta in a 3-0 shutout win on Oct. 23.

After failing to qualify for the postseason in 2019 and the cancellation of the regular season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team began to establish themselves as playoff contenders in the 2021 season. After being eliminated in two out of the last three playoff games in penalty shootouts, the women have a better sense of what to expect.

“Postseason is an entirely different season. It bears a lot of emotion, a lot of pressure and a lot of present moments that can instantly keep your dreams alive or dead in the tracks,” said Eckberg. “Having been in the postseason the last three years, losing twice in penalty shootouts, our group is equipped with the appropriate reality of what the postseason is.”