ALBANY, N.Y. - The UAlbany field hockey team is set to host two home games this weekend.
 
GAME INFORMATION 
 
Vermont at UAlbany 
DATE: Friday, September 30 
TIME: 2:00 PM
SITE: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 6-3, 1-1 America East; Vermont 8-1, 3-0 America East
SERIES RECORD: 23-5, UAlbany leads
STREAM: AE.TV
STATS: UAlbanySports.com 
 
#16 Boston College at UAlbany
DATE: Sunday, October 2
TIME: 12:00 PM
SITE: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 6-3, 1-1 America East; Boston College 5-4, 2-0 ACC
SERIES RECORDS: 3-0, Boston College leads
STREAM: AE.TV
STATS: UAlbanySports.com 
 
GREAT DANE REWIND 

• UAlbany opened the season with an explosive 5-2 victory over Northeastern. It was the Great Danes' first win in the all-time series against the Huskies.
• Facing two nationally-ranked teams - #22 Ohio State (8/28) and #11 Penn State (9/3), UAlbany saw its first two losses.
• The Great Danes won five-straight games against Fairfield (2-1 (OT), 9/4), Colgate (8-1, 9/9), Cornell (2-1, 9/11), Yale (3-0, 9/18), and California (5-1, 9/23). 
• After securing their first America East win over the Golden Bears, the Black Bears snapped the Great Danes' win streak with a win in shootouts on September 25.
• Sophomore Alison Smisdom leads the team with nine goals, 21 points, and the lone defensive save of the season.
• Graduate student Luisa Knapp (11 points) and freshman Sophia Schoonmaker (10 points) follow with double-digit points from four goals and multiple assists.
• With five assists, sophomore Blanca Orsola owns a team-high.
• Senior goalie Hannah Mangan has started seven games. In 451:31 minutes, she owns a 1.33 goals against average and a .722 save percentage. Against Yale, she notched her first career shutout.

 
ABOUT VERMONT

• Seeing nine games in 2022, the Catamounts own an 8-1 record. 
• The lone loss of the season came from the opening game against #10 Syracuse (8/27).
• Vermont has since seen eight wins including non-conference victories over Sacred Heart (8/28), Merrimack (9/2), Holy Cross (9/9), Boston University (9/11), and Northeastern (9/25).
• Opening their America East slate against UC Davis (9/16), the Catamounts have defeated Stanford (9/18) and Bryant (9/23) in addition to the Aggies.
• Throughout its victories, Vermont has captured two shutout wins (Stanford and Northeastern), one overtime win (Stanford), and one win in shootouts (Holy Cross).
• Sophia Drees leads the team with five goals and seven assists for 17 points.
• Five Catamounts follow with six or more points while 10 total players have contributed at least one point.
• Sierra Espeland has stood in goal for all 549:31 minutes of play. With 13 goals against and 34 saves, she owns a 1.42 goals against average and a .723 save percentage.

 
SERIES AGAINST THE CATAMOUNTS 

• UAlbany leads the all-time series, 23-5.
• Most recently, the Great Danes defeated Vermont in overtime, 3-2, in 2021.
• Julie Rodijk notched the first goal while Elaina Burchell tied the score with less than five minutes remaining and Alison Smisdom scored the game-winning goal with a penalty stroke in the first overtime period.
• The last three contests in the series have been won by just one goal. In addition to the overtime victory in 2021, UAlbany won 1-0 in the spring of 2021 and 2-1 in 2019.
• This game will serve as the first at Alumni Turf since 2018.

 
ABOUT #16 BOSTON COLLEGE

• As of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's (NFHCA) September 27 Poll, the Eagles are ranked #16 in the nation.
• After opening the season with a split weekend that saw a win over Providence (8/27) and a loss to #19 Old Dominion (8/28), Boston College fell twice at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Eagles played #4 Maryland (9/2) and #1 Northwestern (9/4) - teams that are currently ranked fourth and second, respectively.
• BC currently owns a three-game win streak with victories over #9 Virginia (9/16), Monmouth (9/18), and #20 Duke (9/23) after defeating #8 Penn (9/9) in shootouts and falling to #12 Saint Joseph's (9/11).
• Peyton Hale and Victoria Arra lead the team with four goals apiece but Hale has notched an assist to lead with nine points.
• Three Eagles own a team-high three assists - Margo Carlin, Martina Giacchino, and Sarah Johnson.
• Freshman Carine Van Wiechen leads in goal with six starts for 348:16 in goal. She owns a .651 save percentage while junior goalie Emily Gillespie leads with a 1.16 goals against average.

 
SERIES AGAINST THE EAGLES 

• Boston College leads the all-time series, 3-0.
• The most recent matchup was a 1-0 win for the Eagles in 2018.
• The first meeting between the two teams was at the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and the second was a double-overtime loss at Alumni Turf in 2017.

AROUND THE AMERICA EAST 

• Three America East teams lead with an undefeated record - Vermont (3-0), UMass Lowell (3-0), and Maine (2-0).
• UAlbany and California own a 1-1 league record after one weekend of play.
• Stanford sits in sixth place with one win and two losses.
• Bryant, New Hampshire, and UC Davis are looking for their first America East win.

 
AMERICA EAST CONTESTS THIS WEEK

• Friday 
  • Bryant at New Hampshire, 2 pm
  • Vermont at UAlbany, 2 pm
  • Maine at UMass Lowell, 3 pm
  • UC Davis at California, 9 pm (6 pm PT)

 

• Sunday 
  • UMass Lowell at Bryant, 12 pm
  • Vermont at Colgate, 12 pm
  • Boston College at UAlbany, 12 pm
  • Bryant at Hofstra, 12 pm
  • Dartmouth at New Hampshire, 1 pm
  • Merrimack at Maine, 2:30 pm

 
UP NEXT 

• The Great Danes will continue at home for two games - Stanford (10/7) and UC Davis (10/9).

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