SCORE: UAlbany 1, Stanford (Shootout - 4-1)
LOCATION: Field Hockey Complex - Orono, Maine
RECORDS: UAlbany 15-4, 6-2 America East | Stanford 10-9, 4-4 America East
SHORT STORY: Down for the majority of play, the Great Danes put up continuous pressure before winning the America East Championship in a shootout, Sunday afternoon.
COACH PHIL SYKES: "It was a fantastic game all around. I thought in the end 'of course you want to win but it's a shame somebody had to because it was so evenly fought.' Both teams played great. We had a long spell where we were down 1-0 and sometimes you can try to force [a goal] and sort of panic but I was so proud of our girls for staying the course and following [the game plan]. Ultimately, we ended up getting the equalizer late and kept our heads to get into overtime. We were fairly confident because this team has had some good success in overtime [this season] and even that was a tremendous battle for both teams. Both teams had great looks; both goalies played amazingly. The shootout was a nice redemption from last year - in a way, we defeated our demons."
KEY STATS
- Sophomore Blanca Orsola scored the Great Danes' lone goal.
- Senior goalie Hannah Mangan saved six shots.
- UAlbany outshot Stanford, 18-10, with a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first quarter saw a total of three shots, including two from UAlbany.
- Senior Julie Rodjik notched the first action in the circle with a shot on goal in the fourth minute. She added a second shot on goal with 2:06 on the first-quarter clock.
- The Great Danes opened the second quarter with a penalty corner at 13:53. The team added two shots but the Cardinal halted the chance, including a defensive save with its effort.
- Stanford got on the board first, making it a one-goal game in the 23rd minute of play.
- Very similar to the first, the third quarter consisted of just two shots - one from each team. The Great Danes held pressure for much of the 15-minute period but Stanford would not budge.
- After about 12 minutes of constant pressure, UAlbany evened the score. In a series of three-straight corners, Blanca Orsola collected a rebound, dodged the goalie, and lifted the ball into the net with just two and a half minutes remaining in regulation.
- The first overtime period held similarities to both the first and third periods. Going back and forth, the Cardinal and the Great Danes traded possession but both teams grabbed just one shot each.
- Seeing more action than the first, the second overtime period led to eight shots, five coming from the Great Danes. As neither team scored, the game headed into shootouts.
- Starting out with sophomore Floor de Ruiter, UAlbany grabbed the first goal after de Ruiter earned a stroke attempt and sophomore Alison Smisdom lifted the ball past the goalie.
- Junior Charlotte Triggs and Smisdom followed with their own successful shot attempts.
- Allowing just one to pass by her, Hannah Mangan stood stoic for an additional two attempts.
- Rodijk completed the fourth attempt, out of five. With no way to come back, the senior's successful shot sealed the victory for the Great Danes.
ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
NEXT: With the victory, UAlbany has earned the automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Championship Tournament. The Great Danes will find out where they will head next during the selection show, set to start at 10 pm on NCAA.com.
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
