Four Great Danes Net Goals as UAlbany WSOC Earns 4-2 Victory over UNH
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany women's soccer team earned its first America East victory of the season on Thursday night, riding an early three-goal lead to defeat New Hampshire 4-2.
“Something we have been working on all week is pulling the trigger and controlling possession,” said UAlbany coach Caitlin Cucchiella. “I was very happy about the way we attacked the goal tonight.”
UAlbany (4-7-2, 1-1-0 AE) scored the first three goals in the game and held off a New Hampshire (4-7-0, 1-1-0 AE) comeback attempt off eight saves by keeper Alana Brennan, who earned the victory.
“The offense was great, we worked on shooting all week,” said Brennan. “We had a great night and gained momentum going forward.”
The opening 3-0 run, in the first 47 minutes of the game, saw Alexa Schneider, Leanne Miller and Krista Fitzpatrick score goals in succession. Following an Abby Short goal for UNH, Vivian Vega added a goal from Kiana Rugar to effectively seal the game despite a later goal from Brooke Murphy of UNH.
Vega earned three points on the night, assisting Fitzpatrick's goal.
With the victory, UAlbany snaps a three-game winless streak against New Hampshire, with the last win against the Wildcats coming in 2010.
UNH was the early aggressor, holding the ball for a while on its offensive end. In the 7th minute, UNH nearly got a breakaway past Brennan, but a slide kick by Celia Balf prevented a shot. UAlbany countered and earned a corner, but did not get a shot off.
The other way, Morgan Smith twice in a span of two minutes fired from long range. The first was saved by Brennan, the second sailed high.
In the 13th minute, Schneider took the ball towards the box. Turning around from outside the box's corner, she kicked and scored inside the right post for a 1-0 UAlbany lead.
UNH remained aggressive and took the next six shots, most from at least 15 yards away. With the exception of one on goal that was stopped by Brennan, all six missed.
Miller substituted into the game in the 36th minute. Two minutes later, she received a cross from Schneider into the goal box, kicked and hit the ball off the post and back to her. She tried again, kicking the ball left of the diving keeper for the score to put UAlbany up 2-0.
The two sides exchanged shots on a goal in the waning minutes of the half, with Caitlyn Paltsios finding Schneider on a corner for a header attempt, with the ball missing high and right. UAlbany took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
After a Smith shot went high in the 47th minute, UAlbany got possession quickly the other way. After getting a pass from Vega, Fitzpatrick moved towards the box, finding a hole through the back line. She shot through the opening and scored inside the right post for a 3-0 UAlbany lead.
UNH, which outshot UAlbany in the game 22-14, kept peppering at the goal from long range. In a span of three minutes, Brennan saved three of these shots. With 49:34 elapsed, Short picked up a deflection off a defender and scored from 10 yards out to get UNH on the board.
UAlbany struck back in the 54th minute, starting with a corner kick from Fitzpatrick. Rugar's shot hit the post and went to Vega, who put the ball into the net for the score, making it 4-1 UAlbany.
Following some back and forth play in the midfield, UNH went on a breakaway in the 62nd minute. Murphy received a pass from Caroline Murray and got past the back row, scoring inside the left post to pull UNH within two at 4-2.
UAlbany saw a chance in minute 71 when Allison Carhart's shot was deflected out of bounds for a corner kick. Fitzpatrick arced the corner kick to Paltsios for the header, going wide right. UNH got two shots off the in the next two minutes, with neither getting on goal.
Brennan fizzled the last threats, saving a long shot from Meghan Ledwith in the 84th minute and another from Jenna Shaddock a lit while later. UAlbany took the victory over UNH 4-2.
UAlbany completes the homestand on Sunday, taking on Vermont on Sunday, October 5th at 1 p.m.
