Elaina Burchell - Northeastern 2022
Brent Warzocha/UAlbany Athletics
2
Northeastern NU (0-2, 0-0)
5
Winner UAlbany UALB (1-0, 0-0)
Northeastern NU
(0-2, 0-0)
2
Final
5
UAlbany UALB
(1-0, 0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Northeastern NU 0 1 0 1 2
UAlbany UALB 1 1 0 3 5

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

Field Hockey Wins Explosive Season Opener

SCORE: UAlbany 5, Northeastern 2
 
LOCATION: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 1-0, 0-0 America East | Northeastern 0-2, 0-0 CAA
 
SHORT STORY: After scoring the first goal of the contest, the Great Danes continued to dominate, scoring three in the final quarter to take the 5-2 victory, Saturday.
 
COACH PHIL SYKES: "We came away from today with a lot of positives. You are always curious to see where your starting point is for the season and compared to last year, we are miles ahead of where we were. I liked how everything came together but there is always going to be something to work on. Overall, I'm happy we beat a good Northeastern squad with some good team play."
 
KEY STATS
  • For the first time in program history, the Great Danes beat the Huskies.
  • Graduate student Elaina Burchell tallied the first goal of the season.
  • Alison Smisdom, the 2021 America East Rookie of the Year, opened her sophomore season with two goals and one assist.
  • Freshman Sophia Schoonmaker and sophomore Blanca Orsola combined for two goals. Each tallied a goal and an assist.
  • Overall, the Great Danes outshot the Huskies, 23-5, with a 16-3 advantage in shots on goal.
  • UAlbany earned nine penalty corners to Northeastern's one.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Elaina Burchell opened the game with a goal just over three minutes into play.
  • The Huskies tied the score late in the second quarter (28:19).
  • Less than a minute later, Alison Smisdom dribbled into the circle and took a hard shot for an unassisted goal.
  • With a lot of midfield play, the third quarter did not see any goals. UAlbany tallied three shots to Northeastern's one.
  • The final quarter saw four total goals, three from the Great Danes.
  • Sophia Schoonmaker, assisted by Blanca Orsola, gave UAlbany a two-goal advantage less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. As Orsola dodged the Huskies' goalie and passed the ball, Schoonmaker lifted it into the net for the score.
  • Northeastern closed the lead to one, 3-2, with 12:14 on the fourth-quarter clock.
  • After earning a corner in the 49th minute, Smisdom notched her second goal of the game. Receiving the ball from inserter, senior Robyn Murray, junior Charlotte Triggs stopped the ball in order for Smisdom to take the direct shot from the top of the circle.
  • The final goal of the game came from the Orsola-Schoonmaker pair just over five minutes into the quarter. Just in front of the goal, Orsola took a pass from Schoonmaker and sent the ball into the net.
 
NEXT: The Great Danes will continue play tomorrow (Saturday, August 28) at 1 pm against Ohio State University.
 
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
 
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