Women's Lacrosse Announces 2022 Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. – Mainstays in the America East championship game for a decade, the University at Albany women’s lacrosse team has revealed its 15-game regular season schedule for 2022. The schedule features an opener against Pac-12 opponent Stanford and the annual matchups against Stony Brook and national runner-up Syracuse.  Four of UAlbany’s 2022 opponents held top-20 rankings in the final national media poll of 2021.

2022 Women’s Lacrosse Schedule

The Great Danes begin their 2022 campaign against Pac-12 power Stanford at home on February 13.  The Cardinal ended 2021 ranked 16th in the final media poll after running the table in the Pac-12 before suffering their only defeat of the season against #15 Denver in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

The road season begins a Colgate in a renewal of the rivalry with the Raiders following a hiatus since the 2010 season.  The Great Danes return home to play Yale before visiting Hofstra to start March.

Last season's game against the 20th-ranked Pride was one of the best full-team performances the Great Danes showcased during head coach Katie Rowan Thomson's tenure.  UAlbany scored the first five goals of the game and led by as many as 12 before winning 18-7.  Kyla Zapolski scored five goals with one assist and freshman goalkeeper Aislinn Sweeney recorded 15 saves to knock off the previously-undefeated Pride.

UAlbany's 2021 game against Drexel featured a special personal touch, as it reunited three of the four Schneidereith quadruplets on the field.  Georgia played goalkeeper for UAlbany, while Drexel fielded midfielders Jamie and Lucy.  It was the second time during their collegiate careers that the Great Danes played the Dragons with the Schneidereith sisters on their rosters, but the first time each were a full participant.  The Dragons were ranked 20th national at the time of their game against UAlbany last season and finished the year ranked 15th.

A road game at Canisius leads into a two-game home stand, the first of two instances this season UAlbany will play consecutive games at home.

UAlbany returns home on March 22 against UConn before leading into the opening of America East competition against Binghamton.  The Great Danes defeated Binghamton twice in 2021, and the Bearcats are one of two America East opponents against whom UAlbany remains unbeaten.

The season's first two-game home stand precedes a nearly month-long stretch that will keep the Great Danes on the road, starting with Cornell on March 29.

A rematch with 2021 America East semifinal opponent Vermont looms on the schedule to start April.  UAlbany defeated Vermont twice during the 2021 season, by a total score of 37-13.

New Hampshire has proven to be one of the most exciting opponents on UAlbany's schedule the last few seasons.  In each of the last two regular-season meetings, the final score was decided in either the final minute or overtime.  In 2019, UAlbany saw a five-goal lead evaporate into a two-goal deficit with just under eight minutes remaining in the second half.  The Great Danes scored twice in the final minute to claim the victory.  In 2021, New Hampshire erased a two-goal deficit in the final three minutes to force overtime, before Katie Pascale set up Bryar Hogg for the game-winner in extra time.

The long road trip continues with a visit to UMBC before the season's marquee non-conference matchup at new-look Syracuse.

Coach Rowan Thomson was an All-American for the Orange during her playing career under coach Gary Gait, who moved to coach the men's team following John Desko's retirement earlier this year.  Replacing Gait at the helm is Kayla Treanor, who Rowan Thomson coached while she was an assistant at Syracuse.  Treanor was an assistant coach on 2021 national champion Boston College, helping guide the Eagles to a 16-10 victory over Syracuse in the title game.

Rowan Thomson will have her jersey honored in a special ceremony during the 2021-22 academic year as one of the first three women in Syracuse history to receive the distinction.

After a long time away, the Great Danes return to Albany to close out the final two games of the regular season.  The first, an April 23 meeting with UMass Lowell, leads into the regular-season finale against rival Stony Brook.  The Seawolves have been a top-10 program for the last few years, and have met UAlbany in each of the last nine America East title games, winning each of the last eight.  Due to the conference's COVID-19 scheduling protocols last season, UAlbany played Stony Brook twice in the regular season before meeting in the conference final.  The Seawolves finished 2021 ranked fifth nationally, falling to North Carolina in the NCAA Quarterfinal.

The four-team America East Tournament begins May 5 with the semifinal round, and will be hosted by top overall seed throughout.

UAlbany went 11-7 overall in 2021 and 7-2 in-conference en route to its 10th-straight berth into the America East title game.  Rowan Thomson was named America East Coach of the Year, the first such award of her career.