SCORE: #11 Penn State, UAlbany 2
LOCATION: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 1-2, 0-0 America East | Penn State 2-1, 0-0 Big Ten
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes put up a fight in the midfield but were unable to overcome #11 Penn State's defenses and fell, 6-2, Saturday.
COACH PHIL SYKES: "Playing top-10 teams like Penn State is always a good test early in the season. You are able to recognize what you are doing well and what you need to work on. Today, we had a rough start with them scoring three goals in the blink of an eye but we battled back and made it a game. It was a rollercoaster ride and we need to strive for a little more consistency and calmness out there. Overall, I'm proud of the girls; they battled the whole game no matter what the situation was."
KEY STATS
- Sophomore Alison Smisdom tallied her third goal of the season.
- Freshman Sophia Schoonmaker notched a goal for her second collegiate score.
- Graduate student Elaine Burchell, senior Robyn Murray, and junior Charlotte Triggs each added an assist.
- Senior goalie Hannah Mangan totaled 10 saves.
- Overall, UAlbany tallied three shots, with two on goal. The Great Danes were able to score with each of their shots on goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Nittany Lions started the scoring with 11:18 on the first-quarter clock. Before the eight-minute mark, Penn State added two goals for a 3-0 advantage.
- Just over a minute into the second quarter, Alison Smisdom put the Great Danes on the scoreboard. During a corner, inserted by Robyn Murray, Charlotte Triggs stopped the ball at the top for a drive into the net from Smisdom.
- About four minutes later, with 9:35 on the clock, Sophia Schoonmaker closed the scoring gap to one with a second UAlbany goal. Elaina Burchell brought the ball into the circle on the side of the net and with a cross, Schoonmaker tipped the ball into the goal.
- The Nittany Lions extended their lead by two in the third quarter and one in the final quarter for the 6-2 Penn State win.
NEXT: The Great Danes will head on the road for their first away game at Fairfield. UAlbany is set to begin play in Connecticut at 2 pm tomorrow (Sept. 4).
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