ALBANY, N.Y. - The #14 UAlbany field hockey team splits the weekend with a road game at Maine and a home game against Colgate.
Having clinched a spot in the America East Tournament, the Great Danes will clinch the top seed and hosting duties if they win on Friday.
On Sunday, UAlbany returns home to host their Senior Day. Twelve student-athletes will be featured during the annual ceremony.
GAME INFORMATION
#14 UAlbany at Maine
DATE: Friday, October 25
TIME: 3:00 PM
SITE: UMaine Field Hockey Complex - Orono, Maine
RECORDS: UAlbany 12-3, 4-0 America East; Maine 9-7, 2-2 America East
SERIES RECORD: 20-16, UAlbany leads
STREAM (USA):
ESPN+
STREAM (Int'l):
AE.TV
STATS:
GoBlackBears.com
Colgate at #14 UAlbany
DATE: Sunday, October 27
TIME: 12:00 PM
SITE: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 12-3, 4-0 America East; Colgate 3-11, 0-4 Patriot League
SERIES RECORD: 11-2, UAlbany leads
STREAM:
AE.TV
STATS:
UAlbanySports.com
*records as of 10.24
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
- In a full weekend on the road, the Great Danes went 1-1 with a conference win over New Hampshire (10.18) and a non-conference loss to #8 Boston College (10.20).
- Down 2-0 in the beginning of the third quarter, UAlbany scored two goals, one in each second-half quarter, to tie the game before the end of regulation. After nearly five minutes in overtime, Floor de Ruiter received a pass from Alison Smisdom to score the game-winning goal.
- Two days later, Boston College earned an early lead with two goals in six minutes of action. Charlotte Triggs closed the scoring gap with a goal in the second quarter. Despite their ability to hold the Eagles to one late goal in the fourth, the Great Danes were unable to add any extra goals and fell, 3-1.
GREAT DANE REWIND
- Nationally ranked in the NFHCA Coaches Poll throughout the entire season, UAlbany is currently ranked 14th.
- Overall, the Great Danes' sole losses on the season are to three teams ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA RPI rankings - #7 Ohio State, #8 UConn, and #6 Boston College. They have defeated every other opponent for 12 total wins. Ranked wins come from #7 Harvard (9.13) on the road and #14 Liberty (9.29) at home.
- UAlbany has collected three wins past regulation. Both non-conference contests were against Ivy League foes - Cornell in shootouts and Harvard in the first overtime. The most recent overtime win came from a conference contest against New Hampshire.
- Alison Smisdom leads the team with 18 goals and 41 points. Her 1.20 goals per game and 2.73 points per game are ranked in the top five of the nation. On defense, she is tied for seventh with four defensive saves.
- On the assist, senior Floor de Ruiter leads the conference with .67 assists per game. She currently ranks top 15 in the nation (T13th).
- A Great Dane currently leads the conference in all field player statistics - Smisdom (shots, shots on goal, goals, points, game-winning goals & defensive saves) and de Ruiter (assists).
- Senior Lara Behn is UAlbany's starting goalkeeper. She has played all but 34 minutes on the season, including helping the Great Danes to a win over Cornell with two saves in three shootout attempts against the Big Red.
WORK AS A TEAM, WIN AS A TEAM
(As of October 24)
- In the nation, UAlbany ranks:
- T6th - 8 defensive saves
- 8th - .800 winning percentage
- 11th - 2.47 assists per game
- 11th - 7.93 points per game
- 13th - 2.73 goals per game
- 15th - 2.64 scoring average
- 17th - 1.22 scoring margin
- T18th - .33 shutouts per game
- The Great Danes' rank in the conference:
- 1st - 7.93 points per game
- 1st - 2.47 assists per game
- 1st - 1.47 goals against per game
- 2nd - 2.73 goals per game
- 3rd - 8.93 shots on goal per game
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
(As of October 24)
- The Great Danes have four student-athletes currently ranked in the national (NCAA Division I) stats:
- Alison Smisdom
- 3rd - 1.20 goals per game
- 4th - 2.73 points per game
- T7th - 4 defensive saves
- Floor de Ruiter
- T13th - .67 assists per game
- Lara Behn
- 9th - .800 goalie win-loss percentage
- 27th - 1.487 goals against average
- Mara Küskes
- T43rd - .47 assists per game
IN THE AMERICA EAST
(As of October 24)
- The Great Danes have leaders in each of the seven offensive and two of the four goalie stat categories:
- Shots/Game
- Shots on Goal/Game
- Goals/Game
- Assists/Game
- Game-Winning Goals/Game
- Points/Game
- Defensive Saves
ABOUT MAINE
- The Black Bears are just over .500 with nine wins in 16 contests.
- Opening the season with a loss to #1 Northwestern (8.30), the Black Bears followed with four consecutive wins over UMass (8.31), Indiana (9.2), Hofstra (9.6), and CMU (9.8).
- After falling to #17 BC (9.13) and BU (9.15), Maine added three wins including their first conference contest of 2024 against Vermont (9.27).
- Since beginning league action, the Black Bears have added a win over UC Davis (10.6) and two losses to UMass Lowell (10.11) and Bryant (10.18) for a 2-2 conference record.
- Maine currently has two consecutive losses on its schedule.
- Olivia Geniti and Poppy Lambert lead the team with 20 points each.
- Five Black Bears have tallied at least 10 points. In addition to Geniti and Lambert, Kate Richardson (14), Victoria Tinghitella (13), and Alexandra Sacker (10) all have totaled double-digit points.
- Rozárie Mrázová is Maine's starting goalkeeper. She has played all 16 games with 14 starts. In just under 860 minutes of action, she owns a 1.89 goals against average and a .730 save percentage.
SERIES AGAINST THE BLACK BEARS
- UAlbany leads the all-time series, 20-16.
- Facing Maine twice during the 2023 season, the Great Danes broke several records in an 8-1 win in the AE semifinal.
- Earlier in 2023, UAlbany defeated the Black Bears, 3-1, with three different goal scorers.
ABOUT COLGATE
- The Raiders are 3-11 on the season with four conference losses.
- Colgate earned its first win over Central Michigan in overtime (9.13).
- Adding a win over Mercyhurst (9.22), the Raiders most recent contest was their third win - a 4-2 victory at Bryant (10.20).
- Seeing common opponents in Cornell, Lehigh, Ohio State, and Bryant, Colgate fell in shutouts to #14 Ohio State (9.6) and Cornell (9.29) while earning one goal in a 5-1 loss at Lehigh (9.21).
- Dani Palmer and Grace Schmelzinger lead the team with eight points from three goals and two assists each.
- Lily Schoonmaker and Morgan Willis follow with seven points from two goals and three assists.
- Claire van Kempen leads three Raider goalkeepers with 624 minutes for a 3.75 goals against average and a.649 save percentage.
SERIES AGAINST THE RAIDERS
AROUND THE AMERICA EAST
- At the top of the conference, UAlbany and New Hampshire have clinched a spot in the America East Tournament.
- The Great Danes lead with four wins in four games. The Wildcats are close behind with three wins in four games.
- UMass Lowell, Maine, and Vermont are competing to round out the top four as each have a 2-2 league record.
- Bryant and UC Davis are competing for the final spot in the tournament. Bryant recently earned its first conference win over Maine in double overtime.
AMERICA EAST CONTESTS THIS WEEK
- Friday
- UMass Lowell at New Hampshire, 2 pm
- UAlbany at Maine, 3 pm
- Bryant at Vermont, 3 pm
- Sunday
- Colgate at UAlbany, 12 pm
- Bryant at Holy Cross, 1 pm
- Merrimack at New Hampshire, 1 pm
- Louisville at UC Davis, 2 pm
UP NEXT
The Great Danes will prepare for their final game in the regular season against Vermont on Friday, November 1.
Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany field hockey by following the team on
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