Following an abbreviated and difficult season last year, the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team sought to turn things around after winning two of five games in 2020.
 
With the team returning eight seniors, the Hawks put forth a solid effort this past season, turning in a 5-3 record, good for third in the SUNYAC East Division. A rough start befell the team early, with their opening 18-17 loss to nationally ranked SUNY Cortland being followed by three postponements, games which were to be played against Plattsburgh, Oneonta, and Potsdam. The Hawks regrouped though and rattled off two consecutive big wins against the Bears, 25-3 and 20-6, before losing to the Red Dragons 17-8 April 10 on the road, which proved a pivotal defeat for playoff implications.
 
SUNY New Paltz quickly bounced back with three-straight victories of 22-6 and 15-7 over the much-improved the Cardinals and avenged its early season 17-8 loss against Oneonta by defeating them 13-12 on the North Turf Field. The win was the first ever over the Red Dragons program and evened the team's conference records with a game left in regular season competition. The Hawks ended the year with a loss to the No. 17 nationally ranked Cortland Red Dragons, 16-9 April 24 in their final game of the year.
 
Despite the losses to open and close the season, SUNY New Paltz produced both back-to-back victories and three-straight wins over their final seven games, going an impressive 5-2 in that span. They tied Oneonta in the conference, however a better goals-for and goals-against ratio placed the Red Dragons in the playoffs and left the Hawks on the outside looking in.   
 
SUNY New Paltz led its opponents in all major offensive categories during the season, including a wide margin in goals (129-85), shots (262-194), and shot percentage (.492-.438). Senior attack Amy Hofer led the team in goals (36), points (41), shots (65), and shots on goal (55). Hofer's highest point output was against the Bears April 8 when she tallied eight goals and two assists in the Hawks' 20-6 victory. She was one of eight Hawk players to play in and start all eight games, and despite playing that few games, her 41 total points were good enough to tie her for eighth in the SUNYAC in total points. Sophomore midfielder Maddie Gillis was the team leader in assists with eight. The team as a whole finished fifth in the conference in goals with 129.
 
The Hawks set a program record with five all-conference selections. Hofer and Gillis both earned Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors, while Tara Bovich, Keydy Espinoza and Alexandria Galvez were named to the third team.
 
SUNY New Paltz graduates seniors Hofer, Bovich, Espinoza, Galvez, goalie Haley Timarky and defenders Ashley Bartolone and Megan Tornaore, but return 12 players next season, including Gillis, junior attack Katie Zito who finished second on the team with 24 points on the year and incumbent in goal freshman Hailey Aber.



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