SCORE: UAlbany 5, Colgate 1
 
LOCATION: Alumni Turf in Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 1-0, 0-0 | Colgate 0-1, 0-0
 
SHORT STORY: Senior Elaina Burchell returned with a fire as she led the team with two goals and one assist in her final first game of the year. 
 
COACH PHIL SYKES: "The team made a very good effort today. For the first game of the season, there were a lot of positives to take away."
 
KEY STATS

• Senior Robyn Murray scored the first goal of the season in a one-of-a-kind scenario with both freshman Alison Smisdom and sophomore Charlotte Triggs earning assists on the play. 
• Smisdom followed with the first goal for the freshman class just over three minutes into the second quarter.
• Elaina Burchell tallied the third and fourth goals of the game with goalie dodges and the halftime break in between her scores.
• All three goalies saw time in net with freshman Lara Behn starting and earning the win with one save. Senior Sheridan Messier sat in goal for two saves during quarter three with junior Hannah Mangan earning one save during the final quarter.
• The Great Danes led in corners, 6-1, and shots, 16-9, with a 12-5 edge in shots on goal.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Robyn Murray opened the scoring during the first corner of the game. With an insert from Alison Smisdom and stick-stopper Charlotte Triggs, the three combined for the first goal of the season.
• After earning the first point for a freshman in 2021, Smisdom continued to show up for her class with the team's second goal. Elaina Burchell, in the middle of the circle, passed to Smisdom, who took a quick step into the circle and shot for the first goal of her collegiate career with 11:36 on the second-quarter clock.
• Just over five minutes later, the goal-scorer baton was passed to Burchell for her first tally of the game. Taking a pass from Triggs, Burchell slid the ball in between the goalie's legs for the second goal of the second quarter.
• Burchell opened up the second half of the match with her second goal, the Great Danes' fourth, with an assist from junior Stephanie Moncavage in the third minute of the third quarter.
• Junior Julie Rodijk scored the fifth and final UAlbany goal with 13:54 on the fourth-quarter clock. She used multiple defensive measures in a crowded circle for her unassisted goal.
• The Raiders scored the last goal of the game to take away the shutout with less than two minutes left in the match.

 
NEXT: UAlbany will close the weekend with another home game on Sunday, August 29. The Great Danes host Fairfield for a 1 p.m. start.