ALBANY, N.Y. – The #17 UAlbany field hockey team used a two-goal first half to defeat Yale 2-1 on Saturday afternoon for its fourth victory at home in as many chances this year.
UAlbany (4-3) scored each goal in the opening 28 minutes, outshooting Yale (3-2) 13-1 in the first half. The Great Danes held off the Bulldogs in the second half after an early Yale penalty stroke goal in the period for the one-goal victory.
“I am happy particularly with our first half, especially defensively,” said UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes. “We were committed to team defense. Our moving and passing have been good, we just need to work on building that safety net in games.”
UAlbany outshot Yale 19-7 in the game and had 10 penalty corners to Yale's four. Paula Heuser assisted the opening goal by Viola Von der Mühlen in the 5th minute from Anna Bottino on a penalty corner, then assisted Alyssa Curtis's goal in the 28th minute. Maxi Primus won the game with four saves in goal.
Danee Fitzgerald scored Yale's penalty stroke goal in the 37th minute. Emilie Katz had 10 saves in 12 chances in goal for Yale in the defeat.
The Great Danes got its first penalty corner in the 5th minute. Von der Mühlen passed to Bottino, who passed back and forth to Heuser. Heuser fired back to Von der Mühlen next to the cage for the tip and score on the left post to make it 1-0 UAlbany.
Off another penalty corner, each Heuser and Von der Mühlen got attempts on the cage, being stopped by Katz. The third chance came in the 15th minute as a corner went to Dana Bozek. Bozek tried a ground ball shot in the center, with a save by Katz.
UAlbany kept hacking away with penalty corners, seeing three shots being stopped in a span of 70 seconds. Minutes later, Bottino got close to the cage for a shot, again being stopped by the keeper.
In minute 28, Heuser blasted a pass towards the cage to an open Curtis. Curtis, from point blank range, shot and scored inside the right to put UAlbany up 2-0, the eventual halftime score.
Yale came out of the break with its first shot on goal, leading to a penalty corner. A foul on the corner set up a penalty stroke. Fitzgerald shot and scored to the left to put Yale on the board, making it 2-1 UAlbany.
Bottino nearly got the goal back for UAlbany off a pass close to the cage minutes later, missing just wide left of the mark.
Minute 49 saw Yale draw a penalty corner. Primus got forward, dove and stopped a shot from Carol Middough to hold the UAlbany lead.
UAlbany swung away with a couple of shots starting in the 55th minute as Kelsey Briddell and Heuser each fired hard at the cage. Bozek and Heuser each took shots minutes following, but each went wide.
Yale's final chance came in the closing minutes with a penalty corner. Middough shot for the cage and was stopped by Primus. A second chance effort from Holly Jackson missed wide. UAlbany held for the 2-1 victory.
UAlbany will play the next three games on the road, starting with Delaware on Friday, September 23rd at 7 p.m.
