The women’s soccer team has dropped its past two matches after taking two of three to begin the season.
After scratching out a victory against Ramapo College at the South Turf Field by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday, Sept. 6, New Paltz fell to Western New England 3-1 in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The Golden Bears lit the lamp first 27:34 into the game on first-year forward Morgan Smith’s first goal of the campaign.
After falling behind, New Paltz gained some late momentum in the first half that carried into the second leg of the game.
Fourth-year defender Julia Friedman evened the game up with just over 30 minutes left to go, but New Paltz allowed two costly goals they couldn’t recover from as they fell 3-1.
New Paltz was outshot by Western New England 15-8, but registered four corners to the Golden Bears total of two. First-year goalkeeper Megan Tornatore notched five saves in net after getting the start.
“We did not set the tempo early and didn’t control the attack,” Hawks head coach Mike Eckberg said. “Our second half was better, but we need to dictate the tempo of the game and not let our opponent dictate it.”
Eckberg went on to say that while it’s early in the season, the team consists of a great group of people who are adaptable and coachable.
“We have five or six [newcomers] that are getting significant playing time,” Eckberg said. “The seniors have also put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the program. We are capable of a lot.”
New Paltz sought to float above .500 with a trip to Bard College, but were stymied by the Raptors 2-0.
The Hawks were able to hold Bard off the board through the first 15 minutes, but fourth-year forward Avalon Qian touched the back of the net to give the opposition an early lead.
New Paltz remained down by a tally until 51:35 when Qian recorded her second goal of the game, which would be more than enough to propel the Raptors to victory.
Fourth-year goalkeeper Katelyn Cordero made four saves in net for the Hawks, while her opposition second-year Tessa Greenhalgh made two.
New Paltz and Bard matched each other in corners with four, while the Raptors outshot New Paltz 17-12.
According to Eckberg, the key to success this season is going to come from pushing through adversity.
“We will have to overcome hurdles, but this group is well connected,” Eckberg said. “We just need to face adversity in the heat of the moment.”
New Paltz will host John Jay College and Manhattanville College on Sept. 15-16. The games are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.