Box Score
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - When the Bard College women's soccer team hung on to beat New Paltz last year, it was the first time the Raptors had prevailed against the Hawks in 15 tries.

New Paltz went on to a 3-11-4 season, well below its own standards. It was a down year for the Hawks.

This year is different, though. New Paltz entered the weekend with a 5-0 record and an "Also Receiving Votes" nod in the NSCAA East Regional rankings. They were playing on their brand new turf field for the first time, and hosting Bard on Friday afternoon.

The Raptors pulled off the upset, rallying from a 1-0 halftime deficit to stun New Paltz, 2-1.

A relatively even first half for the Raptors (2-2-1) was ruined when freshman sub Gabriela Cabello (Hauppauge, NY) took a through ball from senior Eleni Anselmi (Garnerville, NY) and buried a shot in the right corner past Bard keeper Kelsey O'Brien with 1:01 left in the half.

"It was frustrating," Bard coach Bill Kelly said, referring to the mood at halftime. "We had been down there close a few times and had some good chances ... we felt we should be up a goal. We just talked about trying to be patient and keep doing what we're doing."

Defender Joanna Regan tied the game in the 51st minute, running onto a ball that was nudged out of the box by Abbey Labrecque and striking a high shot from beyond the 18 that made it just under the crossbar.

"It was kind of a' delayed set piece," Kelly said. "The ball went into the box and came out, and we tell our defenders to go big or go home from there and to aim for the crossbar. That's what Jo did."

Just over six minutes later, Labrecque gave Bard the lead when she won a battle in the box and got a header over New Paltz keeper Katelyn Cordero (Airmont, NY). The ball had been played into the box by Hallie Nolan.

"We call it sending the ball into the mixer," Kelly said. "At that point, it's a matter of who's the toughest. She headed it, got jostled, then headed it again and it went over the keeper and in."

The game was far from over. New Paltz threw everybody forward, and O'Brien made the biggest save of the game with 1:33 left, getting her fingertips on a shot from Anselmi and pushing it just wide.

"They're a good team, and we were on our heels," Kelly said. "Kelsey came up huge in the last minute. This is a good win for us. We showed a lot of fortitude and a lot of mental toughness against a quality opponent."

O'Brien finished with five saves, and Kelly credited defender Margot Kalach Hanono with bailing the Raptors out on numerous occasions all afternoon. Cordero made two saves for New Paltz.

The game culiminated a long five-game road trip to start the 2014 season for the Raptors (2-2-1). Their home opener will come Sunday against 3-1 Hartwick, which beat Bard last year (1-0) and the year before (3-2 OT).

You can follow that contest right here via Live Stats at 1 p.m.