Bergeron Blasts UAlbany Past UMBC, 4-1, On Senior Day
ALBANY, N.Y. - Senior forward Shayla Bergeron shined on senior day, recording her second career hat trick to push UAlbany past UMBC, 4-1, on Sunday, October 21 at the Turf at College Park. The Great Danes improve to 6-10-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the America East Conference. The Retrievers fall to 1-11-5 overall and 0-5-3 in conference play.
UAlbany will await the result of the Stony Brook/Hartford match to decide whether the Great Danes will be the fifth or sixth seed in the conference tournament. With a Stony Brook loss, UAlbany will be the tournament's fifth seed. If the Seawolves defeat Hartford, UAlbany will be the tournament's sixth seed.
UMBC quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute of the match. Retriever midfielder Preslie Quaranta dribbled between three Great Dane defenders at the top of the box and sent a curling shot past UAlbany goalkeeper Alana Brennan.
However, on a day that acknowledged the Great Dane seniors at their final home match, UAlbany responded back with a bang.
Six minutes after the UMBC goal, senior midfielder Despina Psomopoulos sent a well-placed through ball into UMBC's defending third. Bergeron quickly caught up to the pass and dribbled into the box and snuck a shot past Retriver goalkeeper Lauren Kadet to tie the game at one in the 21st minute.
Bergeron came right back in the 24th minute, cutting through two defenders and scoring her second goal of the match from 15 yards out to give the Great Danes a 2-1 lead going into the half.
The Great Danes were not done at the half. In the 55th minute, Psomopoulos again sent a great through ball from midfield to lead Bergeron. Bergeron would take two touches and score her third goal of the match. The Hudson, N.H. native has now tallied two hat tricks this season.
Senior midfielder Maggie DeVerna put the icing on the cake in the 65th minute. Teammate Aubrey VanGorder sent a crossing pass from the far sideline. DeVerna reached the pass and dribbled into the box, using just three touches and scored her fifth goal of the season.
UAlbany outshot UMBC by a staggering, 17-8, and both teams
had two corner kicks a piece.
Great Dane goalkeeper Brennan made one save on two chances
for her fifth win. Retriever goalkeeper Kadet tallied six saves on 10 chances
in the loss.
