Field Hockey Score: No. 21 UAlbany 1, UC Davis 0
Location: Stanford, Calif. —Varsity Turf
Records: UAlbany (14-4), UC Davis (6-13)
Short Story: Freshman Kelsey McCrudden scored her first career postseason goal to push the seventeen-ranked UAlbany field hockey team past UC Davis in the America East Quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
Point Scorers:
Goals: Kelsey McCrudden (1)
Assists: Viola Von der Muhlen (1)
Game Notes
- UAlbany held a heavy 15-2 advantage in penalty corners, including a 10-2 clip in the second half.
- The Great Danes doubled UC Davis's nine shots with 18 of their own.
- Chelsea Bigelow recorded 12 saves for UC Davis.
- Looking to net the equalizer, the Aggies elected for a kicking back in the final four minutes of play.
- Frederike Helmke placed six of her game-high seven shots on goal.
Recap: Freshman Kelsey McCrudden scored her first career postseason goal to push the seventeen-ranked UAlbany field hockey team past UC Davis in the America East Quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
The top-seeded Great Danes advance to their 13th-straight America East Semifinal game where they will play the winner of #2 Pacific and #3 Vermont. The contest is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. PT/ 5:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast on AmericanEast.tv.
UAlbany applied the offensive pressure early on with three shots in the opening nine minutes of the game, including a goal from Ghislaine Beerkens that was later called back after the Aggies called for a replay challenge.
The offensive continued to attack as the Great Danes fired off a pair of shots before 2018 All-Rookie Team honoree McCrudden found the back of the cage to give her team the 1-0 lead. Viola Von der Muhlen earned her personal-best ninth assist on the year after sending a through pass to the stick of McCrudden who finished the play with a backhanded goal.
The remainder of the opening half went by without a score, during which time UAlbany earned a pair of corner opportunities. Junior Dana Bozek and Defensive Player of the Year Frederike Helmke would each record a shot, but Chelsea Bigelow was there to make the stop for UC Davis.
The Aggies threatened early in the second half forcing a shot off a penalty corner but 2018 Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Melissa Nealon was there to deny UC Davis of the equalizer. Nealon finished the day with six saves in route to her career-high 14th win of the season.
UC Davis elected for a kicking back in the final four minutes of play, but could not make up the deficit.
