SCORE: #16 UAlbany 2, #4 Michigan 1
LOCATION: Phyllis Ocker Field - Ann Arbor, Michigan
RECORDS: UAlbany 16-4, 6-2 America East | Michigan 14-6, 6-2 Big Ten
SHORT STORY: After a goal just before halftime, the Great Danes spent much of the second half down by a goal. Keeping calm, UAlbany tied the score before freshman
Sophia Schoonmaker scored the game-winning goal in overtime, Friday afternoon.
COACH PHIL SYKES: "It was such an unbelievable game. There were lots of ups and downs but our girls stayed the course and kept on fighting. I think it's easy to get intimidated and overwhelmed by this situation and playing such a quality, well-coached team like Michigan. Our girls never gave up and believed they could tie it up. Overtime was frantic and without the calmness and composure of
Hannah Mangan, we wouldn't have stayed in it. She played very well today. Ironically, we had been working on a specific skill for Sophia in a 1v1 type situation over this past week. When she broke through I was really hoping she could execute and when she did the bench and team went crazy!!! It was such a great historic moment. I have never been more proud to be a Great Dane!!!"
KEY STATS
- Four different Great Danes contributed to the scoring efforts.
- Sophomore Floor de Ruiter scored the game-tying goal while freshman Sophia Schoonmaker notched the game-winning goal.
- Graduate student Elaina Burchell and sophomore Alison Smisdom added an assist each.
- Senior goalie Hannah Mangan was the true anchor of the defense. Making eight saves Mangan came up with several much-needed saves, including a penalty stroke stop.
- The Wolverines outshot the Great Danes, 22-10, with a 9-4 advantage in shots on goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Great Danes maintained offensive pressure for most of the first 15 minutes of play. Only giving up the ball a few times, UAlbany held a 2-0 lead in shots during the first quarter.
- The Wolverines kicked up the pressure in the second quarter. Tallying three penalty corners, Michigan totaled six shots, including three on goal.
- With 2:39 on the clock, senior goalie Hannah Mangan stopped a Michigan penalty stroke attempt.
- The Wolverines took the lead with 20 seconds left in the half during a penalty corner.
- The Great Danes spent much of the third quarter on defense. Collecting just one shot from one corner, Michigan added four corners and seven shots.
- Michigan came out of the short break to open the fourth with a couple of shots and a penalty corner but the Great Danes quickly gained possession of the ball.
- Holding off the Wolverines' advances, defense turned into offense as UAlbany added two shots and four penalty corners in three minutes.
- The fourth continued back and forth for the final 10 minutes of regulation.
- Sophomores Floor de Ruiter and Alison Smisdom combined for the game-tying goal during a penalty corner. Tipping the ball around the goalie and into the net, de Ruiter finished a shot from Smisdom with 2:59 on the fourth-quarter clock.
- As the game went into overtime, the Wolverines did not let up. Hannah Mangan continued with her excellent play, saving three shots to hold off a Michigan win.
- Making a breakaway pass, Elaina Burchell sent the ball 25 yards to Sophia Schoonmaker.
- Just Schoonmaker against the goalie, the rookie brought the ball into the circle before making a sideways lift toward the net. With 55 seconds left in the first overtime period, the Great Danes won the game.
NEXT: UAlbany will face Penn State, the winner of the Louisville v Penn State game, on Sunday, November 13 at 1 pm.
For more information on the University at Albany field hockey team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyfh
Instagram - @ualbanyfh
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyFH
