Alison Smisdom - AE SF 2023
Jaime Dickinson/UAlbany Athletics
1
Maine MAINE (8-12)
8
Winner UAlbany UALB (13-5)
Maine MAINE
(8-12)
1
Final
8
UAlbany UALB
(13-5)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Maine MAINE 0 0 1 0 1
UAlbany UALB 3 0 3 2 8

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

Smisdom, #19 Field Hockey Dominate in America East Semifinal

SCORE: UAlbany 8, Maine 1
 
LOCATION: Wicked Blue Field - Lowell, Mass.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 13-5, 8-5 AE | Maine 8-12, 3-5 AE
 
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes secured a bid to their third-straight AE Championship with an explosive offensive showing.
 
COACH PHIL SYKES: "The conference tournament is always a big challenge and the University of Maine has always been a big rivalry game for us. I know this was kind of a fluke outcome because typically it's a one-goal game or overtime or shootouts. I am very proud of our girls … of how we came out, started with good energy, and had a really good level of focus today throughout the whole game. I am proud of the whole team. I am hoping we can keep the same attitude and atmosphere going into the final."
 
KEY STATS
  • Earning a career-high five goals and 10 points, junior Alison Smisdom broke the conference tournament record for goals and points in a single game. Both records were previously held by Paula Heuser '17.
  • Senior Charlotte Triggs, junior Floor de Ruiter, and freshman Mara Küskes scored one goal each as the Great Danes broke the conference tournament record for goals in a single game.
  • Junior Blanca Orsola and Küskes tallied two assists each. 
  • Adding one assist, de Ruiter totaled three points.
  • As a team, UAlbany outshot Maine, 19-6, with a 13-6 advantage in shots on goal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Less than two minutes into the first quarter, the Great Danes scored on the second penalty corner of the contest. After a stick-stop from Blanca Orsola and an insert from Mara Küskes, Alison Smisdom pushed the ball straight to the backboards of the goal.
  • Three minutes later, Floor de Ruiter lifted the ball into the net for the second goal scored during the third corner.
  • The Great Danes closed out the first quarter with a second Smisdom goal. With 21 seconds on the clock, de Ruiter and Smisdom passed the ball after a corner insert and before the former took the shot.
  • After a scoreless second quarter, Charlotte Triggs notched UAlbany's fourth goal just over three minutes into second-half action.
  • Maine got on the board with 4:34 on the clock but the Great Danes responded with a fourth penalty corner goal less than a minute later.
  • As the third quarter was winding down, de Ruiter brought the ball up the field before inserting the ball into the circle. Mara Küskes collected it and, after dribbling closer to the net, scored her fourth goal of the season.
  • Smisdom closed out the seven-goal victory with two additional goals in the final quarter.
  • Two minutes after a successful penalty stroke in the 48th minute, Smisdom dribbled the ball from about 40 yards out through the Black Bears' defense. Making it to the endline, she sent the ball to the opposite corner of the net with a reverse shot.
 
NEXT: The Great Danes will continue on to the America East Championship. With a 12 pm start time, UAlbany will compete against fourth-seeded, California.
 
For more information on the University at Albany field hockey team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyfh
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanyfh
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyFH
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