No. 7 Field Hockey Rebounds from First Half Deficit, Falls at No. 10 Virginia 3-2 in Overtime
BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University at Albany field hockey (6-2) fought back from a two-goal first half deficit, but the Great Danes ultimately lost 3-2 in overtime at No. 10 Virginia on Sunday afternoon.
“We were very positive going into the second half,” said head coach Phil Sykes. “We felt like we were out-playing them, and it says a lot about our character to be able to come back. I was proud of our driving ability to get back in the game today.”
The Great Danes began the game with four unanswered penalty corner opportunities. Pahila Arnold had two shots blocked at the top of the circle on those penalty corners, while Paula Heuser fired one wide. Fiori Van Rijswijk put one shot on net with 17 minutes gone after inserting, but the attempt was saved by Virginia goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone.
The Cavaliers got on the board first; scoring with 10 minutes left in the first half. The momentum in hand, Virginia scored again five minutes later after Maxi Primus made an initial save. A nearby Cavalier tipped in the rebound on the second attempt. Heuser had two shots saved by Johnstone to close the first half.
UAlbany entered the break with a deficit for the first time this season. The Great Danes out-shot Virginia 9-5 in the opening period.
Captain Amy Nicklin responded quickly to open the second half, tipping in an initial shot by Arnold. Nicklin scored her second goal of the season to narrow the lead.
At the 52:30 mark, Virginia called timeout to regroup on the defensive end. Echo Bretz nearly tied the game at two moments earlier.
Virginia's attempt to slow the game down did not work however, as Kelly Bonner notched her first goal of the season with 10 minutes left in regulation. Freshman Anna Bottino tallied the assist.
UAlbany continued to pound the circle late in regulation, but a penalty corner attempt came up empty. Virginia charged the other way for two penalty corners and four shots on goal to end the second half. The Purple & Gold defense stood strong, with Jaclyn Hibbs and Jordyn Homyak both being credited defensive saves in the closing moments of regulation.
With just seven players on the field for each team in overtime, UAlbany left a hole down the left side for Virginia to score and take the win.
Sunday marked the first overtime game for the Great Danes since 2012, when they fell 2-1 at New Hampshire on Oct. 5. The last time UAlbany played in an overtime contest in nonconference play was almost exactly two years ago to the day, against Lafayette at home on Sept. 22, 2012.
After a five-game road swing, the No. 7 Great Danes return to Alumni Turf for the next four games. UAlbany faces No. 20 Princeton on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
