#6/7 UAlbany Men's Lacrosse Earns Share of Fourth Straight America East Title, Locks Down Home Field in League Tournament with 12-8 Home Win vs. Binghamton
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ALBANY, N.Y. – The #6/7 UAlbany men's lacrosse team defeated Binghamton 12-8 to conclude the annual Spring Stomp, picking up at least a share of the America East regular season title for the fourth consecutive year and securing the 1-seed for hosting rights to the conference tournament.
Holding off being outshot 27-11 in the first half, UAlbany (9-2, 5-0 AE) used two late second quarter goals and dominated possession in the second half to outlast Binghamton (4-7, 2-2 AE) in the game. In that second half, UAlbany, which led by two at the break, outshot Binghamton 24-14 and outscored the Bearcats 4-2.
“Winning the conference regular season was our goal to start the season, it is a great feeling to have home field in the tournament,” said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, who leads the Great Danes to their seventh America East regular season title. “To have a game tonight and play the full 60 minutes was good to see.”
The victory gives UAlbany home field for the America East Tournament, which will be held on May 5th and 7th at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
On the offensive end, Bennett Drake earned a career-high five points off four goals and an assist. Seth Oakes earned three goals while John Maloney notched three assists and a goal, adding two ground balls and a hard-fought clear. Blaze Riorden earned the victory in goal with 15 saves while Stone Sims caused two turnovers and grabbed two ground balls on defense.
“The guys around me played well, and we were going to right things all week,” said Drake. “It all worked out in the game today.”
Johnny Maher led Binghamton with two goals and two assists, adding a pair of ground balls while Zach Scaduto had a hat trick. Sam Sanko got the loss in goal with eight goals allowed and one save in the first half, while Tanner Cosens had nine saves and four goals allowed in the second.
Before the game, UAlbany held a ceremony to announce the Daniel L. Barnes '07 Memorial Scholarship. Kyle McClancy is the scholarship's first recipient.
Justin Reh scored first on the shot clock for UAlbany, rolling off a screen for the shot and score. Drake found Maloney less than a half-minute later off a catch and shoot from behind the cage to the cutter. After Sims caused a turnover, UAlbany raced after the clear as Maloney found Oakes for the laser beam score from mid-range for an early 3-0 UAlbany lead 4:12 in.
Binghamton called a timeout, and after a change of possessions, had a long string of shots. The third chance by Scaduto on a quick restart put the Bearcats on the board. After a pair of turnovers, Maher added a goal to near the goal circle to bring the visitors within one, drawing a penalty. UAlbany survived the man-down situation, but the fifth shot attempt in the possession from Thomas McAndrew just got by Riorden. The first quarter ended with a 3-3 tie.
Drake scored two quick goals at the start of the second off won faceoffs, coming from behind the cage and shooting while spinning to get a goal, then taking a low pass from Jack Burgmaster and hitting the ball like a golf swing between the feet of the keeper. BU countered with a Mitchell Rick goal off a clear, then another goal off a long possession with two Riorden saves as Scaduto scored from Maher to tie the game.
Binghamton kept firing away as the UAlbany defense held, forcing high and wide Bearcat shots. Sims forced a turnover to send UAlbany on a clear. Maloney again cleared, found Oakes for after bullet shot and score to put UAlbany back ahead. Binghamton got the goal back off another Maher score to make it 6-6 with under two minutes left in the 2nd.
After a won faceoff, AJ Kluck pulled the ball to the offense, passed behind him to McClancy for the close range score. After another won faceoff by Zach Ornstein, Drake added another goal, putting UAlbany up 8-6 before the end of the half.
UAlbany continued the quick attack as after a won faceoff by Connor Russell, Connor Fields made a spin move off a defender and scored from close range to put the lead to three. Binghamton got a quick goal of its own in the next minute to pull back within two at 9-7 with 13:11 left in the 3rd.
The possessions started to go back and forth as UAlbany shots went wide and Riorden saved two shots and caused a turnover to end a third possession. UAlbany got a long possession and fired away five times, including three times from Eli Lasda as Cosens saved the final three and ended the chance. Cosens saved three more UAlbany shots in the rest of the quarter as Riorden saved one and picked up a ground ball on a blocked shot to end another possession as UAlbany led 9-7 after three.
The UAlbany ride came into play after a Great Danes turnover, as knocked down a Salvatore Fama pass and drew a slash. During the man-up, Fields found Drake for the catch and shoot goal for a 10-7 UAlbany lead. Again Binghamton scored quickly as Scaduto added a goal to make it 10-8 with 11:27 remaining.
Binghamton won the next faceoff and peppered the goal, missing three times. John Glancy got in front of Scaduto and forced a turnover. Seconds later, Maloney again found Oakes for the line drive goal to rebuild the UAlbany advantage to three. UAlbany held off a Binghamton man-up situation off the faceoff, cleared and took aim at the cage four times, with two wide and two saved. Binghamton turned the ball over on the clear, and on the next possession, Fields drew a double team to free Derrick Eccles next to the cage for the score.
The UAlbany defense held the rest of the way as Riorden saved a shot near the pipe from Mitchell Rick, Troy Reh causing a turnover on Rick next possession and then Riorden saving another shot with 1:42 left. UAlbany cleared with 1:15 remaining and held the ball the rest of the way to earn the 12-8 victory.
UAlbany will hit the road for its next game, taking on #1/2 Yale in New Haven on Saturday, April 23rd at noon.
