PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team broke the single-season program record for wins, while senior attacker Emily Caoili (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) bettered the single-season program record in points and junior goalie Lilla Nease (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) topped the single-game program record in saves, as the Cardinals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 12-9 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) win over SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday afternoon at the Field House Complex in their home finale.
 
The Cardinals earned their fifth win of the season, breaking the former single-season program mark of four wins from their 4-0, COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Caoili upped her season point total to 37 to better her own mark of 35 from 2019, while Nease posted 15 saves to improve upon the former mark of 12 that was set by both senior goalie Alexa Cassidy (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) and sophomore goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) last season.
 
While the Hawks finished with a 24-18 edge in shots and a 22-17 cushion in ground balls, the Cardinals owned a 15-10 advantage on draw controls. On clears, Plattsburgh State was 20-for-22, while New Paltz was 20-for-21.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 5-8 overall (3-5 SUNYAC) with the win and will clinch a spot in the SUNYAC Tournament if it wins at Oswego State on Saturday, April 30, at 12 p.m. in its regular-season finale. It also marked the Cardinals' first win over the Hawks in Plattsburgh State's four-year program history. New Paltz falls to 6-8 overall (4-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and visits SUNY Geneseo in its regular-season finale on Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m.
 
The Hawks opened scoring 1:25 into the contest when sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Shaw cashed in on a feed from first-year midfielder Kira Tucker, while first-year attacker/midfielder Caitlin Nash (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) leveled the score at 1-all nearly three minutes later when she converted on a feed from first-year attacker Maddy Garcia (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz). Shaw (junior midfielder Shannon Brosnan assist) and first-year attacker Alyssa Indelicato (senior attacker Maddy Carullo assist) each scored for New Paltz midway through the first quarter before junior midfielder Lindsay Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) tallied with six seconds left in the opening frame to cut the gap to 3-2 through 15 minutes of play.
 
Junior midfielder Maddie Gillis and Carullo (Gillis assist) each scored early in the second quarter to balloon the Hawk advantage to 5-2, while junior midfielder Caroline Noia (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) tallied on a free-position shot to bring the Cardinals back within two goals. Carullo converted on a pass from Indelicato midway through the frame before Guzzetta buried a woman-down goal to trim the deficit to 6-4 with 6:18 left in the second quarter. Senior attacker Katie Zito tallied on a free-position shot for the Hawks, but Guzzetta made it a two-goal game heading into the half when she scored unassisted with 47 seconds left in the second quarter.
 
Plattsburgh State pulled ahead thanks to a five-goal third quarter. Caoili dished an assist on a Nash goal 1:16 into the third quarter and then fed Noia on the equalizer minutes later. Caoili then gave the Cardinals the lead with a goal midway through the frame on a pass from Garcia and scored again on a free-position shot with 4:37 remaining in the third. Guzzetta buried a feed from sophomore midfielder Jordan Kowalski (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) with eight seconds left in the third to extend the Plattsburgh State advantage to 10-7.
 
Guzzetta converted on a pass from Caoili 5:01 into the fourth quarter before Shaw broke up the run with a free-position goal with 6:01 to go in regulation. Caoili added insurance when she scored unassisted with 4:12 left, while Gillis spelled the final score with a goal 1:17 before the final horn.
 
Caoili led Plattsburgh State with six points, including four in the decisive third quarter, on three goals and three assists, while Guzzetta netted four goals and added an assist. Noia controlled seven draws and scooped up three ground balls, while sophomore defender Sam Lombardi (East Atlantic Beach, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) caused three turnovers.
 
Shaw (three goals), Carullo (two goals, one assist) and Gillis (two goals, one assist) led the Hawk attack, while Brosnan registered four draw controls and two ground balls. Defensively, Gillis posted four ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Nease turned aside 15 shots in the victory for the Cardinals, while sophomore goalie Hailey Aber made six saves in the loss for the Hawks.