Score:Â Fairfield 3, UAlbany 0
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Location:Â University Field in Fairfield, Conn.Â
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Records:Â UAlbany (0-1) | Fairfield (1-0)
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Short Story:Â UAlbany drops season opener at Fairfield, 3-0, after the Stags scored goals on two-of-three corner attempts.
Coach Sykes: "We played well in two periods and created several good chances. It's the first game in a year and a half and we had some rocky moments. We have a lot of learning in these first few games of the season."
Key Stats
- Goalkeeper Sheridan Messier made her first collegiate start and made four saves in the first half
- Elaina Burchell produced a team-high three shots, one on goal
- Hanna Zarrilli had two shots and both were on goal
- Fairfield earned three penalty corners and scored off two of them
- The Stags scored two goals in a two-minute span in the third quarter
- Fairfield held a 6-4 shots advantage, 5-2 on goal, in the first half, and an 11-9 advantage, 9-5 on goal, in the whole game
How it Happened
- Despite each team having two shots, one on goal, UAlbany held most of the possession in the first quarter. The Great Danes had a 2-0 advantage in corners, but the teams were tied 0-0.
- The Great Danes picked up in the second where they left off, as Elaina Burchell produced a shot that went just wide 23 seconds into the frame. UAlbany kept the pressure on as Katie MacCallum nearly buried a chance in close at 21:24, but Fairfield goalkeeper Zoe Rosen made a diving save.Â
- The momentum flipped when Fairfield earned a corner and Emily Halderson scored off a rebound. The Stags' goal at 26:19 stood as the only tally in the first half, as they led the Great Danes 1-0.
- UAlbany's Kelsey McCrudden nearly tied the game at 33:23, but her shot off a corner deflected just over the crossbar.Â
- Fairfield responded with two goals in two minutes, Malen Inglesias at 39:16 and Faith Spaziano at 41:23, that gave the Stags a 3-0 lead.Â
- In the fourth quarter, Burchell took a shot that was blocked and cleared and marked UAlbany's final threatening chance. The Great Danes produced late pressure, but fell 3-0 at Fairfield.
Next: UAlbany is scheduled to visit Hofstra on Sunday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m.
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