DENVER – The University at Albany women's lacrosse program meets #5 Denver for the first time in more than a decade in the Second Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
 
Game Info
May 14, 2023 at #5 Denver (3:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Game Notes | Tickets
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 5-4 on the road this season; Denver is 8-0 at home
• Denver is 36-3 at home since the start of the 2019 season
• Denver is the last undefeated Division I team in the country
• Denver has not allowed an opponent to score more than nine goals this season
• UAlbany leads the nation in free-position percentage; Denver ranks second
• Denver leads the nation in scoring defense
• UAlbany ranks fourth nationally in draws per game and shot percentage
• Denver ranks second nationally in caused turnovers per game, third in draw control percentage, and sixth in scoring margin
• Sarah Falk ranks seventh nationally in free-position percentage
• Katie Pascale ranks 12th nationally in draws per game

Scouting Denver
The Pioneers are having a season for the ages, winning each of its first 20 games to stand tall as the final unbeaten team within the Division I ranks.  Denver's last loss was in the 2022 NCAA Tournament Second Round to 2022 national runner-up Boston College, 13-8, after knocking off 2022 America East champion Vermont in Chestnut Hill, Mass. in the First Round, 16-3.  Eight Pioneers have scored 20 or more points, six have scored 30 or more, and four have scored 40 or more.  The Pioneers' leading scorer is Julia Gilbert, who has scored 61 points behind 53 goals and eight assists.  Denver's true strength lies in its defense, which averages fewer than six goals allowed per game, and has not allowed an opponent to score more than nine goals all season.  Denver won its third-straight BIG EAST title in 2023 and is making its fifth-straight, and seventh overall, appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they are now 8-6 overall after defeating 2023 Pac-12 champion USC in their First Round matchup.
 
Last Time vs. Denver
March 28, 2010 | UAlbany's lone meeting in history against Denver came at a neutral site in Maryland during the 2010 season.  Senior midfielder Kayla Best recorded a hat trick, as did attacker Melanie Sosnowski.  Taylor Frink, UAlbany's current assistant coach, scored one goal.  The Great Danes jumped out to a 3-0 lead and led 5-1 before Denver rallied to take a 7-6 lead nine minutes into the second half.  The Great Danes regrouped and used a 3-0 run to take the lead for good. The win, UAlbany's sixth of the season, saw the Great Danes off to their best seven-game start of a season.  UAlbany outshot Denver 33-25 and won 13 more ground balls than the Pioneers.
 
Last Time Out
For the second time in history, the UAlbany women's lacrosse program won a game in the NCAA Tournament.  Playing #12 Virginia for the first time in program history, in a neutral site matchup in Denver, the Great Danes rallied from down 10-3 to win 16-14 and advance to the Second Round.  Sarah Falk scored seven goals, all of which came in the second half, and Katie Pascale netted four goals and added three assists to power the Great Danes' offense.  After trailing by seven, UAlbany outscored Virginia 13-4, and 13-7 in the entirety of the second half.
 
Around the America East
The last America East team standing, UAlbany followed its third America East title by upsetting #12 Virginia in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.  UAlbany moves on to the Second Round to play five-seed and undefeated Denver on the Pioneers' home field.
 
Sunday's America East Games

• UAlbany at #5 Denver, 3:00 pm

Common Opponents

• Stanford
  • UAlbany: 3/12 at #18 Stanford, L, 20-21
  • #3 Denver: 4/14 vs. Stanford, W, 15-8
• UConn
  • UAlbany: 3/22 at UConn, L 12-20
  • #3 Denver: 4/8 at #25 UConn, W, 14-9

Upcoming Milestones

• Mackenzie Beam: 45 caused turnovers
• Grace Cincebox: 9 wins
• Sarah Falk: 4 ground balls
• Kadi Futia: 44 draws
• Bryar Hogg: 49 appearances, 48 goals, 40 assists
• Mallori Kits: 41 appearances
• Allie Maloney: 47 appearances, 42 goals
• Katie Pascale: 41 caused turnovers
• Haley Phalines: 99 draws
• Ava Poupard: 45 points, 40 goals
• Courtney Rafferty: 44 appearances
• Aislinn Sweeney: 1459:23 minutes played

Milestones Achieved

• Aislinn Sweeney: 150 saves (at #20 Johns Hopkins, 2/12/23)
• Katie Pascale: 150 points (vs. Cornell, 2/18/23)
• Katie Pascale: 150 draws (vs. Fairfield, 2/22/23)
• Aislinn Sweeney: 50 ground balls (at Brown, 2/25/23)
• Sarah Falk: 100 goals (vs. Colgate, 3/4/23)
• Shonly Wallace: 100 points (at #18 Stanford, 3/12/23; three institutions)
• Bryar Hogg: 50 points (at UC Davis, 3/15/23)
• Katie Pascale: 100 goals (at UC Davis, 3/15/23)
• Aislinn Sweeney: 200 saves (at UConn, 3/22/23)
• Haley Phalines: 50 draws (vs. Vermont, 3/25/23)
• Katie Pascale: 200 draws (at UMass Lowell, 4/1/23)
• Shonly Wallace: 100 goals (at UMass Lowell, 4/1/23; three institutions)
• Mackenzie Beam: 50 appearances (vs. #2 Northwestern, 4/8/23)
• Sarah Falk: 50 appearances (at Binghamton, 4/15/23)
• Sarah Falk: 150 points (at Binghamton, 4/15/23)
• Allie Maloney: 50 points (at Binghamton, 4/15/23)
• Katie Pascale: 200 points (at Binghamton, 4/15/23)
• Sarah Falk: 50 draws (vs. New Hampshire, 4/22/23)
• Katie Pascale: 50 appearances (vs. New Hampshire, 4/22/23)
• Katie Pascale: 100 assists (vs. New Hampshire, 5/5/23)
• Katie Pascale: 250 draws (vs. New Hampshire, 5/5/23)
• Sarah Falk: 150 goals (vs. #12 Virginia, 5/12)

Division I Program Career Rankings (since 2004)

• Sarah Falk: Goals (t-5th, 155)
• Katie Pascale: Assists (1st, 108); Points (1st, 234); Draws (2nd, 271)
• Aislinn Sweeney: Wins (7th, 14); Saves (9th, 217)

America East Weekly Awards
Offensive Player of the Week
            Sarah Falk: 3/6
            Katie Pascale: 2/20, 2/27, 4/17
Defensive Player of the Week
            Grace Cincebox: 4/17
            Aislinn Sweeney: 2/27
Rookie of the Week
            Skylar Baur: 3/27
            Grace Cincebox: 4/17, 5/1
 
Win Totals
UAlbany's 13 victories in 2023 are the most in a single season since winning 14 in 2015, and the most since Katie Thomson took over as head coach in 2019.  The Great Danes as a program have won at least 13 games in five seasons now: 18 in 2011, 14 in 2014 and 2015, and 13 in 2010 and now 2023.
 
Record-Breaking
Two Great Danes, Sarah Falk and Katie Pascale, set program records during the team's upset victory over #12 Virginia in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.  First, Falk's fourth goal of the game saw her take over as the program's all-time single-season goals scored mark with 65, ultimately ending the game with 68 after scoring seven against the Cavaliers.  Later, Pascale's third assist and seventh point of the game saw her take over as the program's all-time scoring leader with 234 career points.
 
Shocked the World
After trailing by seven in the third quarter, UAlbany rallied to upset #12 Virginia in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, 16-14.  UAlbany outscored Virginia 13-7 in the second half, and 13-4 after trailing by seven.  It was UAlbany's second-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament, following a defeat of Dartmouth, 10-7, in the 2011 First Round, and the second victory over a ranked opponent of the Katie Thomson era.
 
All-Region
For the third-straight season, midfielder Katie Pascale earned IWLCA All-Northeast honors.  In 2023, Pascale earned her second Second Team selection, previously earning Second Team honors following her freshman year.  As a sophomore, Pascale became the first Great Dane to earn First Team honors since Sarah Martin in 2017.  Pascale was once again one of the top players in the America East in 2023, leading the league in points, assists, and draws.
 
Back West
The Great Danes drew #12 Virginia as their opponent in the 2023 NCAA Tournament First Round, and will play the Cavaliers in Denver.  It will mark the second long trip west of the season for UAlbany, having previously traveled to California for two games against then-#20 Stanford and UC Davis.  UAlbany went 1-1 on the trip.
 
Dancing
For the first time since the 2017 season, during which the Great Danes earned an at-large bid, UAlbany has clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  UAlbany will make its fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having first done so during the 2011 season when the team won its first America East title.  Overall, UAlbany is 1-4 in five NCAA Tournament games, with their one victory coming in the 2011 First Round at Dartmouth, 10-7.  UAlbany narrowly missed a second NCAA Tournament victory in 2015, falling 11-10 in overtime against Penn at Syracuse.
 
All-Tournament
Katie Pascale led five Great Danes players named to the 2023 America East All-Tournament Team.  Pascale scored 13 points in the two tournament games, including a single-game tournament record 12 in the semifinals, and was named Most Outstanding Player.  Sarah Falk, Shonly Wallace, Mackenzie Beam, and Grace Cincebox were also named All-Tournament.
 
Champions
For the third time in program history, and the first time since 2012, the UAlbany women's lacrosse team won the America East title.  The Great Danes defeated the two-seeded Binghamton Bearcats in a 14-13 thriller at home on John Fallon Field and ended a nine-game losing streak in the title game.  Sarah Falk and Shonly Wallace powered UAlbany's offense, scoring five goals apiece.
 
Championship Berth
For the 12th-straight season, the UAlbany women's lacrosse team has advanced to the America East title game.  The Great Danes dispatched the four-seed New Hampshire Wildcats in the 2023 semifinal round by a final score of 20-10.  UAlbany is 2-11 in 13 total appearances in the America East final, with eight of 11 defeats coming against Stony Brook.
 
Record-Breaker
Junior midfielder Katie Pascale set or tied four records in UAlbany's America East semifinal victory over four-seed New Hampshire.  With her third assist of the game, Pascale broke Sam Tortora's record for career assists, previously 101.  Pascale scored 12 total points in the game to set UAlbany's single-game record as well as the America East single-game tournament record.  Finally, Pascale's seven goals tied the America East single-game tournament record.
 
Midfielder of the Year
Katie Pascale was named just the second America East Midfielder of the Year in program history, following Sarah Martin in 2017.  Pascale, for the second-straight season, is UAlbany's leading scorer, totaling 69 points behind 38 goals and 31 assists.  Additionally, Pascale as won 108 draws, overtaking the program's single-season record.  Pascale is further closing in on the program's career points, assists, and draws record.
 
All-Conference
Nine Great Danes won 11 America All-Conference awards following the conclusion of the 2023 regular season.  Katie Pascale led the group as Midfielder of the Year, All-Conference First Team, and All-Academic.  Joining Pascale on the First Team was Sarah Falk, Shonly Wallace, and Mackenzie Beam.  Bryar Hogg and Allie Maloney earned spots on the Second Team, while three players, Skylar Baur, Grace Cincebox, and Delilah Mile, were named All-Rookie.
 
Regular-Season Champions
For the first time since the 2011 season, the UAlbany women's lacrosse team won the outright America East regular season title.  It is the program's third outright title and fourth overall, having more recently shared the title with Stony Brook during the 2014 season.  UAlbany finished 2023 a perfect 6-0 against America East opponents.
 
Unbeaten
With their win over Bryant to close the 2023 regular season, the Great Danes clinched their first unbeaten-in-conference season since 2011, and just their third overall.  UAlbany defeated all six America East opponents on their schedule this season, having suffered no more than two-losses in-conference each season since 2013.
 
One-Seed
For the second-straight season, the UAlbany women's lacrosse team earned the top overall seed in the America East Tournament.  The Great Danes clinched the one-seed and hosting privileges for the postseason by defeating New Hampshire in their regular-season home finale 16-11.
 
Seniors
For their regular season finale, against New Hampshire, the Great Danes will pay tribute in a brief postgame ceremony to the members of the 2023 senior class.  The group of seniors and graduate students, numbering a total of 11, have contributed appeared in the America East title game in each season of their careers.
 
Clinched
With their victory on the road over previously unbeaten-in-conference Binghamton, the UAlbany women's lacrosse team clinched a spot in the America East Tournament for the 16th-straight season.  In that time, the Great Danes are 14-13 in the postseason with two America East titles, in 2011 and 2012.
 
Pick Your Poison
Coach Thomson preaches the offensive philosophy of always having seven threats on the field, where any of the Great Danes' offensive players are capable of scoring.  By the team's ninth game of the season, four Great Danes had scored more than 20 points.  Katie Pascale led the way with 42 points (24 goals, 18 assists), followed by Shonly Wallace with 32 points (29 goals, 3 assists), Sarah Falk with 24 points (24 goals), and Bryar Hogg with 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists).  Additionally, Allie Maloney had matched Hogg's goals total with 12.
 
Climbing
With two assists at #18 Stanford, junior midfielder Katie Pascale moved into a tie for second place in program history for career assists with 83, sharing the spot with Maureen Keggins (2012-15).  Pascale moved past Sarah Martin (2014-17) and assistant coach Taylor Frink (2008-11), and remains behind just career program record-holder Sam Tortora (2017-20) and her mark of 101.
 
Outbursts
Sarah Falk, UAlbany's leading goal-scorer in 2022 with 52, had scored nine goals through five games to start the 2023 season.  Against Colgate, Falk broke out, recording a nine-goal performance, the second-highest individual goals total in a single game in program history.  Falk scored four goals in the fourth quarter, and her fourth goal of the day brought her to 100 for her career.  Additionally, Shonly Wallace scored all five of her goals against the Raiders in the third quarter.
 
To The Nines
In the 2023 home opener against Cornell, junior midfielder Katie Pascale scored five goals and added four assists for a total of nine points.  It was the fourth time in her career that Pascale has scored nine or more points in a single game, having done so three times during the 2022 season.  Pascale repeated the exact output in the very next game, against four-time defending MAAC champion Fairfield.
 
ESPNU
The America East announced a new partnership with ESPN for the 2023 women's lacrosse season.  The deal will see the 2023 conference title game broadcast live on ESPNU for the first time.  The change also shifted the dates of the conference tournament from May 4 and 6 to May 5 and 7.  The title game will be played May 7 at 10:00 am.
 
Picked Second
A tight 2023 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll saw the Great Danes narrowly land second behind defending champion Vermont.  The Catamounts edged the Great Danes 34-33 in total points and 4-3 in first-place votes.  Vermont defeated UAlbany 12-11 in the 2022 America East title game, with UAlbany's final goal to force overtime wiped away after finding the back of the net just after time expired.  UAlbany will host Vermont to open the 2023 America East schedule.
 
Scoring Threat
Adding to the dual-threat of Katie Pascale and Sarah Falk, the Great Danes added University of Oregon graduate transfer Shonly Wallace to the roster for 2023.  Wallace led the Ducks with 40 goals in 2022 before falling to Stanford in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.  Wallace began her career at Stony Brook, winning an America East title as a freshman in 2019.  She finished her career at Oregon with 65 goals and 81 points.
 
Power Play
Perennial national power Northwestern will visit UAlbany for the first time in history in April this season.  The Great Danes and Wildcats have played twice before, with both games coming in the NCAA Tournament during the 2011 and 2017 seasons.  The Wildcats have won seven NCAA titles, most recently in 2012.
 
West Coast
One of the highlights of the women's 2023 schedule is a trip to California for two games, against defending Pac-12 champion Stanford followed by UC Davis two days later.  Stanford has visited UAlbany for each of the last two meetings in the series, with the Great Danes nearly coming back to upset the Cardinal in the 2022 season opener.
 
First Time
The Great Danes will open the 2023 schedule against a first-time opponent in Johns Hopkins.  The Great Danes and Blue Jays have never played before in the women's game but do feature a unique connection recently when former UAlbany goalkeeper Georgia Schneidereith and former Johns Hopkins attack Maggie Schneidereith played concurrently as two of the four Schneidereith quadruplets playing Division I lacrosse.
 
Schedule Strength
Five of UAlbany's 16 2023 opponents hold rankings in the Inside Lacrosse preseason media poll, including two in the top five: #4 Northwestern, #5 Syracuse, #14 Stanford, #20 Johns Hopkins,  and #24 UConn.   Additionally, the Great Danes will face off against seven teams who appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament, five teams who were ranked in the final national media poll of 2022, and three 2022 conference champions.
 
Super Sixes
Bryar Hogg continued her international play in the fall at the World Lacrosse Super Sixes Tournament in Canada.  She was joined by new teammate Shonly Wallace, a graduate transfer from Oregon.  Canada defeated the Haudenosaunee National Team in the final to win the gold medal.
 
World Games
Former Great Dane Ivy Santana competed for the Haudenosaunee Women's National Team at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.  Lacrosse at the World Games was played with the sixes format, and featured a field of eight teams.  Additionally, former UAlbany players Lyle Thompson, Ron John, and Tehoka Nanticoke competed on the Haudenosaunee Men's National Team.
 
World Championships
Three members of the Great Danes' program competed internationally at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's World Championship in Baltimore over the summer.  Assistant coach Taylor Frink and attack Ivy Santana competed for the Haudenosaunee National Team while Bryar Hogg competed for Team Canada.  Canada won the silver medal, falling to Team USA in the championship game, while 12th-ranked Haudenosaunee finished seventh.
 
New Look
The 2023 season will feature a new-look America East women's lacrosse conference.  Perennial national power and eight-time America East champion Stony Brook departed for the Colonial Athletic Association and Hartford has started its reclassification to Division III.  The America East brought in Bryant as a full member to account for the two departures.
 
Mainstays
The UAlbany women's lacrosse team has made 11-straight trips to the America East title game, winning the conference tournament in 2011 and 2012.  For each of the last nine, the Great Danes have met Stony Brook in the final.
 
#21 Retired
Syracuse University announced in August, 2021 that Katie Thomson will have her jersey honored in a ceremony during the 2021-22 academic season.  Thomson is one of four former Orange student-athletes selected for the honor this season, and one of three women, with Felisha Legette-Jack and Anna Goodale.  This group of four, including former men's lacrosse star and current men's lacrosse head coach Gary Gait, who coached Thomson when she played for the Orange, are the first to receive the honor outside the Orange's primary revenue sports.  Further, Thomson, Legette-Jack, and Goodale are the first women to receive the honor in Syracuse history.  The ceremony took place on February 20.
 
2021 Coach of the Year
Third-year head coach Katie Thomson was named 2021 America East Coach of the Year, the first such award in her career at UAlbany.  Thomson guided the Great Danes to a 10-6 overall record in 2021, including 7-2 in-conference, while securing the two-seed in this year's America East Tournament.  The team will make its 13th-straight postseason appearance, and earns its 11th top-two seed during that span.  2021 marked Thomson's first victory over a ranked opponent in her career as UAlbany head coach, with the Great Danes defeating #20 Hofstra at home by a score of 18-7.
 
Ranked Victory
In her third season, UAlbany head coach Katie Thomson recorded her first victory over a ranked opponent when her Great Danes dominated #20 Hofstra 18-7 at John Fallon Field on March 9, 2021.  In her first three seasons, Thomson had her team played against nine ranked opponents, including top-ranked Boston College in 2019, as well as multiple games against Thomson's alma mater Syracuse and conference rival Stony Brook.
 
Haudenosaunee International
The UAlbany coaching staff spent two stints with the Haudenosaunee national program in the summer and fall of 2019, first with the U-19 team and next with the senior national squad.  Head coach Katie Thomson and assistant coaches Taylor Frink and Leah Gallagher served as assistant coaches under Ronnie Davis, the former head coach of Monroe Community College, on the sidelines for Haudenosaunee in the U19 World Championships.  Haudenosaunee placed ninth overall, earning victories over Belgium, Israel, Mexico, and Hong Kong.  Later in the fall, Thomson and Gallagher once again found themselves on the Haudenosaunee sidelines, this time for the senior national team at the inaugural Pan-American Lacrosse World Qualifiers, presiding over a roster that included Frink on the attack.  Thomson and her assistants led Haudenosaunee to the gold medal, defeating Columbia, Jamaica, Mexico, and finally Puerto Rico in the championship game.  Frink played in all four games, scoring five goals with seven assists, finishing as the seventh-leading scorer in the tournament.  The World Women's Lacrosse Championships take place in July, 2021.
 
WPLL
For the second season, head coach Katie Thomson helmed the Pride of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League.  Joining Thomson on the sidelines was assistant coach Taylor Frink.  Thomson led the Pride to the WPLL semifinals against the Brave, bringing into the game the league's co-leading team in scoring.  The Pride and the Brave further combined to field three of the four players who shared the lead league in individual scoring.  The Brave defeated the Pride 15-10 to advance to the WPLL championship game against the Flight, ultimately claiming the league championship.
 
2023 NCAA Quarterfinals
On October 14, 2020, the NCAA announced among its selections for over 450 championship sites for the 2023-26 seasons that the University at Albany was awarded hosting responsibilities for a quarterfinal bracket in the 2023 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament.  It will be the first time the Great Danes host a quarterfinal, having previously hosted three First Round games, in 2007, 2017, and 2018.  UAlbany's host date is scheduled for May 20, 2023.
 
PLL Year Five
The Premier Lacrosse League will once again return to the campus of the University at Albany for their fifth season in 2023.  For the second-straight year, UAlbany will host the league's training camp and opening weekend games.  Four games will be held at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium between June 2 and 4.
 
PLL Year Four
UAlbany once again hosted a weekend during the Premier Lacrosse League's fourth season.  In previous years, UAlbany hosted its weekend towards the middle or end of the summer, but in 2022, UAlbany's spot was moved to opening weekend in addition to the League's training camp.  Five Great Danes appeared in three of the league's four games of opening weekend.  The Whipsnakes defeated the Chaos 9-8 in a rematch of the 2022 final, The Atlas beat the Redwoods 17-11, the Cannons beat the Waterdogs 16-10, and the Chrome defeated the Archer 11-10.  Former Great Danes turned heads during year four once again, with Blaze Riorden and Troy Reh making the league for a third-straight season with Chaos LC.  Previously, Riorden, Reh, and Lyle Thompson were named to the PLL All-Star Game.  Finally, Thompson was named Attackman of the Year, and repeated as Humanitarian of the Year.
 
Next: The winner of Sunday's game advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals to take on the winner of #4 North Carolina and Richmond on May 18.