Score: No. 3 UAlbany 1, No. 2 Vermont 0
 
Location: Virtue Field in Burlington, Vt.
 
Records: UAlbany (6-7-6) | Vermont (13-3-2)
 
Short Story: Jeff Thielmann scores in the 81st minute to knock off two-seed Vermont and advance to the America East title game.
 
Key Stats

• Jeff Thielmann scored his second goal of the season
• Shafique Wilson recorded his fifth-straight clean sheet while making five saves
• UAlbany's shutout streak has grown to 505:44 of game time
• Vermont outshot UAlbany 18-4 overall
• Domenic Baumann took three of UAlbany's four shots
• Vermont drew seven corner kicks to UAlbany's one
• Vermont controlled 58% of total possession
• Vermont committed 18 fouls to UAlbany's eight 

Head Coach Trevor Gorman: "It was a tremendously gutty performance from our guys.  This Vermont team has been ranked in the top-20 of the country all season long and in the top-20 of the RPI all season long and they are a very good team with players who have been around this league for three and four years.  We knew that to come up here we were going to have to defend very well, we were going to have to absorb pressure, and we were going to have to defend our box.  Give credit to our guys, they fought, they were pinned in, they defended with everything they had, and they kept them out.  And then we did find that moment of quality.  I wish we might have attacked a little bit more in the second half, and controlled the ball a bit more, but, in the end, in the playoffs, all that matters is you advance, and we're delighted to do it.  Now we get the experience of competing for a championship."
 
How it Happened

• UAlbany made its first appearance in the America East semifinal round since the 2017 season, the year of their most recent conference title.  Their opponent was the second-seeded Vermont Catamounts, whom the Great Danes hosted in their regular season finale just 10 days ago.  UAlbany and Vermont played to a scoreless tie in that game, a result that dropped Vermont from the top overall seed to second.
• Despite the tie, the Catamounts were ranked eighth in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll, holding steady from their ranking from the week before, and continued to hold the top spot in the most recent Northeast regional poll.
• UAlbany entered the game riding a shutout streak dating back to the first half of their game against Colgate on October 18.  Since allowing a goal against the Raiders in the 36th minute, UAlbany's defense had recorded four-straight clean sheets, encompassing nearly 415 game minutes.
• Early in the game, in the fifth minute, Vermont's offense pushed deep into UAlbany territory.  The Catamounts' serve into the box found the head of Max Murray just a few yards off the goal line.  Shafique Wilson successfully covered the ball after the header to keep the game scoreless.
• UAlbany's first attempt on goal came in the 12th minute when Domenic Baumann ripped a shot low and to the left, but Vermont goalkeeper Nathan Silveira made the save.  Silveira was just named America East Goalkeeper of the Year for the second-straight season.
• The first half ended with the score tied at zero.  Vermont held advantages of 7-1 in shots taken, 3-1 in corner kicks, and 54% to 46% in first-half possession.  Despite taking six more shots, Vermont only put one of their shots on target, and both goalkeepers had recorded one save.
• In the 52nd minute, Wilson made another stellar save to prevent a Catamounts' goal.  Joe Morrison fired a shot from the top of the 18 about chest high towards the UAlbany goal.  Wilson deflected the ball away and out of bounds for a Vermont corner kick.
• The UAlbany defense came up big in the 74th minute with back-to-back holds against Vermont chances.  Two minutes later, Wilson made another point-blank save to keep the game scoreless.
• UAlbany broke through in the 81st minute to go up 1-0.  Elias Ehlin served the ball to the far post where Jeff Thielmann redirected the ball into the back of the net off a one-touch to take the lead.
• The Great Danes' defense held firm through the final minutes of the game, locking down and preventing Vermont from capitalizing on any other opportunities.  UAlbany went on to win by the same score, 1-0.
• Vermont's second-half advantages grew to 11-3 in shots and 4-0 in corner kicks, while the Catamounts continued to control possession.  Wilson finished the game with five saves, four of which came in the second half.

Next: UAlbany advances to the America East championship game for the first time since the 2017 season to face off against top overall seed New Hampshire on Sunday, November 13.  Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm.