Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Senior attack Talia Tesler (Rochester, NY/Brighton) scored a career-high seven goals, but it was her caused turnover and subsequent game-tying goal with 33 seconds remaining that will long be remembered in what is rapidly developing as a break through season for the State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team.
 
Down 10-3 with 26:41 remaining in the game against SUNY Potsdam, the Hawks stormed back to tie the contest with 33 seconds left and with just 1:10 expired in overtime, got the game winning goal from junior midfielder Carissa Citro (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) to provide New Paltz with a dramatic 15-14 overtime victory in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play on Tuesday afternoon at the Turf Field.
 
With the victory, the Hawks improve to 4-2, 1-1 SUNYAC and next travel to SUNY Fredonia for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, April 5. Potsdam drops to 3-4, 0-1 SUNYAC and faces The College at Brockport for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, April 5.

It was a reversal of fortunes for New Paltz, who dropped a 15-14 overtime game to Potsdam last season.
The visiting Bears looked to have the game well in hand when sophomore midfielder Lizzie Marchibanks stemmed a New Paltz comeback, scoring with four minutes remaining for a 14-12 lead. The Hawks got a huge goal from junior midfielder Julia Johnson (Bayport, NY/Bayport-Blue Point) with 1:55 to play to slice the lead to 14-13. Following the goal, the Bears attempted to run out the clock by holding the ball in their defensive end. The keep-away tactic didn't work, as Tesler forced a Potsdam turnover and subsequently rifled the ball into the right corner of the goal to tie the contest at 14-14 with 33 seconds remaining. The Bears won the subsequent draw control, but were hounded by the Hawks and unable to get off a shot.
 
Tesler, who scored six of her seven goals in the second half, led the charge back from the seven-goal deficit. "When we were down, we collected ourselves and thought about our overtime game last year," Tesler said. "We stayed composed, and teamwork goes a long way."
 
Potsdam was able to control play through much of the contest thanks to solid play off the draw control, holding a 27-7 advantage.  The Hawks methodically worked themselves back into the game by scoring six of the game's final seven goals.
 
Tesler started the New Paltz comeback with nine minutes to play, scoring a goal that cut the Potsdam lead to 13-10. Citro and Tesler tallied goals to cut the margin to 13-12 with 4:22 to play.
 
Buoyed by the goal-scoring prowess of sophomore attack Bri McClusky, Potsdam broke out to an 8-3 halftime lead and threatened to make quick work of New Paltz when sophomore defender Maggie McCabe pushed the visitors ahead 10-3 with 26:41 to play.
 
More than enough time remaining for New Paltz to mount its comeback.
 
In addition to Tesler's seven goals, junior attack Kelsey Healy (Central Islip, NY/Bay Shore) added four goals and Citro notched three. The Hawks had 36 shots in the game, forcing Potsdam senior goalie Jen Chmiel make 14 saves.
 
Potsdam had 42 shots in the contest, getting four goals from McClusky. Junior goalie Jackie Ulanoff (Northport, NY/Northport) made 14 saves.