New Paltz, NY — Since coming off a 2-0 win Wednesday, the State University of New York at New Paltz put an emphasis on capitalizing off more of its chances in the offensive third. All the Hawks worked on the past two days leading into their last non-conference match before SUNYAC play Saturday was finishing. The result? A 7-1 thrashing of visiting Manhattanville College to push the teams record to 2-2-1 on the year.
 
"I think honestly, this team really needed it because we've been struggling with finishing the ball and we needed to take 50-50's, we needed to take unexpected shots and today we had the opportunity to do that," said SUNY New Paltz junior forward Siena Diaz-Colon. "We realized that it works for us, and we can do it in the SUNYAC's and we're here to play and we're ready to start our winning streak today."
 
The Hawks took advantage of a few errors made by the Valiants starting goalkeeper Alexa Pyatsky. One minute in, SUNY New Paltz put pressure on Manhattanville's backline as it insisted on playing from the back. The hosts won possession in their offensive third and immediately played a ball over the top for Diaz-Colon who had a step on her defender in the box. Pyatsky miss-timed her jump, missing the loose ball and Diaz-Colon was there on the easy follow to give her team a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the game.
 
 
"Just want to take a moment to acknowledge the dedication to our process," said Hawks coach Mike Eckberg following the win. "Today was a representation of the commitment, desire and belief these student-athletes have in one another."
 
Less than a minute later, Cailin Ruoti capitalized off similar circumstances for the Hawks. Ally Donovan and Rachel Eisert played a good combination of passes to one another in the midfield, leading to a through ball by Eisert to Diaz-Colon making a run toward the sideline. Diaz-Colon took a touch and created enough space around her defender to put a cross into the middle of the box. The defender deflected the pass slightly to make the ball loft toward the six-yard box. Again, Pyatsky miss-judged her jump, the ball bounced passed her and a Manhttanville defender and Ruoti was there to knock in the game's second goal of the day.
 
The Valiants responded right off the re-start, however, as Ashley Hayes found space about 40 yards out to launch a shot over the head of Hawks keeper Kyra Russo for the team's only goal of the game, which cut the deficit 2-1 with a full 40 minutes left in the half. 
SUNY New Paltz made sure to add another before the break to ignite a dominant second half. The Hawks kept the pressure as Manhattanville continued to play out of the back. With Sky Pedroza coming on, Pyatsky second guessed her pass and played a flat ball intended to her teammate that went to the feet of Pedroza who cut off the pass and placed her shot into the empty goal for the score.
 
"I think we've been struggling with [pressuring the ball], because I think we give away easy opportunities and we've been trying to capitalize on that and make sure we set those opportunities and we shut down things quick, so we've been trying to emphasize to pressure early and gain the ball back," Diaz-Colon said. "We want to make sure the starting five minutes has to be on everyone and we have to keep the energy levels up to set the tone of the game and make it our game and that's what we did."
 
"Three defensive mishaps on their end, which is definitely uncharacteristic on their part," Eckberg added. "You take goals when you can regardless of where they come from, so I think that just compounded our attack and the feeling in our attack and created that in the second half as well."
 
Second half was even more impressive than the first for SUNY New Paltz. Continuing to press and force the Valiants into mistakes, the Hawks netted their fourth of the day less than four minutes into the final 45 minutes of action. Eisert fired a shot just outside the box and forced Manhattanville's Stephanie Shalhoub — who came in midway into the first half to relieve Pyatsky — to make a save with Diaz-Colon there to pick up the loose ball and earn her team a corner. Emma Voege took the ensuing set piece, playing the ball near post. A Valiant defender got her head on the ball, but couldn't clear out of play and instead, the ball looped backward to a skying Eisert who jumped over her own teammates and Manhattanville defenders to get a head on the ball that found the back of the net for the goal.
 
Dana Salinas added the fifth at the 57th minute with an exclamation point goal from about 40 yards out. The play started after Eisert earned a free kick deep in the Valiants defensive half, getting tripped up after beating her defender. The Hawks had a quick re-start and switched fields to find Ally Donovan on the opposite side who centered a pass to Salinas running on. Salinas one-timed her shot that bent high and over Shalhoub into the top corner of the net for the score — her second of her collegiate career.
 
"She deserves all the credit, that's for sure," Eckberg said of Salinas' highlight strike. "It's something that we re-emphasized in many different settings, whether it's in training, whether it's in film, whether it's in individual meetings, that's she's someone who is very possession-based midfielder, and she loves to pass and it was great today to see her take the shot when she had it."
 

WHAT A GOAL. 😱@danasalinas one-times a banger that bends into the corner of goal to push @newpaltz up 5-1 w '32 left in 2H #NPHawks #NPWS pic.twitter.com/4d9LzkDXAy

— New Paltz Hawks (@nphawks) September 18, 2021

 
Jill Dantona scored in the 81st minute off another pass from Donovan. Dantona found some space just outside the box and beat Shalhoub to the far post for her first career goal. Pedroza then put the finishing touches on the rout, hustling to jump and get a head on a 50-50 bouncing ball in the box to chip Shaloub and score her third goal of the week to cement the 7-1 win for her team.
 
"It gives me ultimate joy. These girls are my family and it's so good to see girls get opportunities to score and get the attention and goals they deserve, truly," said Diaz-Colon.
 
The Hawks out-shot the Valiants, 21-8, including 14-6 in the second half, while having the edge in corners (6-0) and had seven different goal scorers in the game. Eisert led all players with four shots on the day.
 
"I certainly thought we saw some clinical finishing today, especially in the second half from multiple sources and when you can have multiple scorers on the table I just think that makes you that much more dangerous as a team," Eckberg said. "So that was exciting, whether it be Jill Dantona, Sky Pedroza, Dana Salinas — you name it — with Ally Donovan creating a lot of different opportunities as well, Rachel getting in on set pieces, I think there's a lot of different weapons we started to see today and that was exciting. That is again, a testament to their commitment to the process."
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action next weekend when it begins SUNYAC play on the road against The College at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo.

Siena Diaz-Colon Post-Game Interview


Hawks vs. Manhattanville Highlights

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