#6/6 UAlbany MLAX Wins the Rematch, Smashes #11/11 Cornell 19-10 to Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Postgame Press Conference (Cornell Athletics) | Watch Blaze Riorden's Goal (ESPNU)
ITHACA, N.Y. – Tasked with a rematch against a squad the #6/6 UAlbany men's lacrosse team fell to in the regular season, the Great Danes dominated the day 19-10 at #11/11 Cornell to return to the NCAA quarterfinal round.
Down 2-0 early, UAlbany (16-2) rolled off 11 consecutive goals and held off Cornell (10-6) for 26:30 to lead at halftime 11-3. Cornell got to within six, but UAlbany used a Blaze Riorden goalkeeper score, finishing the third quarter, to build the momentum and take control for good, outscoring the Big Red 6-3 in the final 20 minutes.
“Very pleased with our effort, a complete effort from start to finish,” said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, who leads the Great Danes into the NCAA quarterfinal round for the third time and second-consecutive season. “They stayed composed early after being down 2-0, and Blaze's goal was a big momentum swing.”
UAlbany will move on the NCAA Quarterfinal round in Denver and will take on 1-seed Notre Dame at the Mile High Stadium at a time to be announced on Saturday, May 16th.
Riorden saved 20 shots on the day, just one shy of his career-high and setting a career-best in the NCAAs, routinely starting plays in transition for the UAlbany offense. His goal is the second of his college career and first-ever with a goalie's stick.
“It was off a save, I got the ball and saw open field,” said Riorden. “I saw Connor [Fields] clearing, and I knew the offense was tired. I made a stick fake as I saw someone sliding, and I put [the ball] in a good place.”
Lyle Thompson tied the NCAA DI record in assists today held by Tim Nelson, totaling 221 in his career. He earned three goals and six assists for nine points, standing with 395 points in his career. In addition, he stands with 116 points, the third-highest single season points mark in DI history behind his own 2014 mark of 128 and Miles Thompson's mark of 119.
“Jordan Stevens did a good job with me,” said Thompson. “Once the transition started hitting, they had to respect our middies and that opened up some things for me.”
Connor Fields led UAlbany in goals with four to total 60 on the season, the third-highest mark in program history. He added an assist and three ground balls.
“Our defense was playing great as a unit, and Blaze [Riorden] was shutting the door,” said Fields. “Good defense leads to good offense.”
Seth Oakes finished with two goals, an assist and a caused turnover on the ride. Derrick Eccles and John Maloney each scored a pair of goals. As a team, UAlbany outshot Cornell 52-45.
For Cornell, Connor Buczek led the way with two goals and an assist, while Matt Donovan had a goal and two assists. Christian Knight got the loss in goal despite 19 saves.
Cornell won the opening faceoff, and after some passing around, Buczek fired low from the near side and scored inside the left post. Cornell repeated the process, winning the faceoff, passing and seeing John Hogan with a long range, straight-away shot and score.
Back and forth the teams went as Riorden saved Cornell shots and the UAlbany offense lost the ball on turnovers. After a Cornell turnover, Matthew Bertrams missed a shot wide in transition. Seth Oakes backed him up behind the cage, passed to an open Adam Osika for the fire and score to put UAlbany on the board with 7:58 left in the 1st.
After another Riorden save, UAlbany struck quick as Derrick Eccles emerged from around the cage, missing his sidearm shot wide. Connor Fields got the second chance, coming around a screen set by Thompson from behind the cage and throwing a shot into upper right corner of the net.
The process kept repeating as Riorden kept saving close shots, leading to transition plays. After a saved John Edmonds shot, Bertrams cleared from midfield, hustled to cage and rocketed a shot for the score. The next play, again Riorden made a save. UAlbany cleared as Oakes went for a quick shot and missed while Cornell slashed him. Thompson picked up the loose ball, passed back to Oakes for the catch and shoot goal. UAlbany got the ball back and made a last shot that was wide. UAlbany led 5-2 after the first quarter.
Cornell won the opening faceoff of the second quarter and drew a UAlbany flag. Cornell threw the ball away, and on the other end, Thompson passed to Fields, who threw a ground ball shot into the cage. UAlbany defended a second time man-down, as Riorden saved a shot and Cody Kilcoyne scooped the ground ball and ran off for the clear, leading to a Cornell offsides. UAlbany took advantage, passing the ball around from Tim Cox to Thompson for the shot and score from 12 yards out.
Again UAlbany struck in transition, with Ithaca-local Riley Lasda picking up a loose ball, clearing, passing to Fields for the hard shot and score. Cox picked up a blocked Cornell shot the other way and cleared. Thompson passed to Maloney for the score next to the goal circle. UAlbany earned the next faceoff, firing away and missing wide, drawing a Cornell slash. UAlbany took advantage with Fields passing to Jake Cullen for the goal inside the left post. UAlbany won the next faceoff and saw Fields fire a shot that was blocked, but Cornell's clear attempt failed after a high pass. Following an Osika ground ball pickup and an Oakes miss, Thompson centered himself to the goal 15 yards out, and while pushed, heaved a shot and scored under the crossbar.
Cornell broke the drought on a second chance as Matt Donovan made a bounce shot and score over Riorden's shoulder. UAlbany had held Cornell without a goal for 26:30. Riorden saved a different Donovan shot before the end of the half as UAlbany went into the locker room up 11-3.
The home team started with possession and fired away, missing wide three times. A penalty on UAlbany gave Cornell a man-up. Riorden stopped a catch and shoot attempt next to him, then a point blank rebound attempt for two saves in five seconds. Each goalie kept holding off the other team as Knight saved shots from Thompson and Riorden stopped multiple Cornell attempts. Oakes forced a turnover on a Cornell clear attempt, leading to Fields coming from around the cage, shooting and scoring. Cornell quickly responded a Buczek bounce shot goal between Riorden's feet. UAlbany got the goal back on a Cornell turnover on the faceoff as Kyle McClancy came from behind the cage, shot and scored under the crossbar, making it 13-4 with 6:24 left in the 3rd.
Cornell went on the attack, going quickly after won faceoffs, as Jordan Dowiak, Matthews and Edmonds all scored in succession, making the score 13-7 UAlbany with 5:19 left in the 2nd.
Back and forth the teams went as each side kept missing, including many drawing iron. As the quarter was expiring, Riorden made another save and attempt to clear. He got across, avoided a double team with a spin move, came towards the cage, got in front, faked out a defender, fired and scored with five seconds left. UAlbany led 14-7 after three quarters.
UAlbany picked up a man-up situation after the opening minute of the fourth quarter, seeing an Oakes shot blocked. Cornell turned the ball over after being offsides on the clear attempt, to which Cox buried a shot while running past the 20-yard line for the goal. Following a faceoff violation on Cornell, UAlbany added another as Thompson made a spin move next to the cage and scored point blank.
After another won faceoff, Cornell scored and drew a UAlbany slash. A couple of blocked shots and Riorden making another point blank save led to UAlbany going to offense. UAlbany lost the ball, but Riley Lasda forced the turnover on the ride to keep the ball with the Great Danes. Eccles follow circling around the arc, heaving the ball while being hit and hitting the shot in the left corner to make it 17-8.
Tnoy Britton scored for Cornell in transition to put Cornell within eight. UAlbany responded with a pair of goals in a span of 30 seconds: Thompson crashed through a double team and passed to a running Eccles for the shot and score, then Thompson passed to Oakes for the low bullet shot and score. Lintner added a man-down goal in the closing minutes as UAlbany secured the victory 19-10.
