ALBANY, N.Y. - The #14 UAlbany field hockey team is set to host the 2024 America East Championship Tournament for the first time since 2014.
Different from the regular season, fans will need to purchase a ticket to attend the tournament games. Adult tickets will be $12 per session with under 14 tickets at $6 per session.
Click here to find all possible tickets.
For more information on the tournament, including the schedule and links to follow along with every game,
click here.
GAME INFORMATION
America East Semifinal - #4 Vermont or #5 UMass Lowell at #1 UAlbany
DATE: Friday, November 8
TIME: 2:00 PM
SITE: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 15-3, 6-0 America East
Vermont 8-8, 3-3 America East OR UMass Lowell 10-7, 3-3 America East
STREAM (USA):
ESPN+
STREAM (Int'l):
AE.TV
STATS:
UAlbanySports.com
*records as of 11.6
CONFERENCE ACTION REVIEW
- The Great Danes went undefeated in America East action for the first time since 2014.
- Having clinched hosting rights before the final game of the season, UAlbany will host the conference tournament for the first time since 2015.
- With two shutouts against conference opponents (UC Davis and Bryant), the Great Danes allowed just one goal in three games - UMass Lowell, Maine, and Vermont.
- Against the tournament's number two seed, UAlbany came back from a 2-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to win in overtime, 3-2, at New Hampshire.
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 15 in the NCAA RPI rankings - #14 Ohio State, #8 UConn, and #9 Boston College. They have defeated every other opponent for 15 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 20 goals and 46 points. Her 1.11 goals per game and 2.56 points per game are good for top five in the nation. On defense, she is fifth with six defensive saves.
- On the assist, senior Floor de Ruiter leads the conference with .78 assists per game. She currently ranks fourth in the nation.
- A Great Dane currently leads the conference in all but one field player statistics - Smisdom (shots, shots on goal, goals, points, and 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 November 6)
- In the nation, UAlbany ranks:
- T3rd - .833 winning percentage
- T5th - 10 defensive saves
- T8th - 8.44 points per game
- 9th - 1.62 scoring margin
- T10th - 3.00 goals per game
- 11th - 2.92 scoring average
- 11th - 2.44 assists per game
- T19th - .33 shutouts per game
- The Great Danes' rank in the conference:
- 1st - 0.83 goals against per game
- 2nd - 2.50 goals per game
- 3rd - 10.00 shots on goal per game
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
(As of November 6)
- The Great Danes have three student-athletes currently ranked in the national (NCAA Division I) stats:
- Alison Smisdom
- T3rd - 1.11 goals per game
- 5th - 2.56 points per game
- 5th - 6 defensive saves
- Floor de Ruiter
- 4th - .78 assists per game
- Lara Behn
- T5th - .833 goalie win-loss percentage
- 24th - 1.348 goals against average
IN THE AMERICA EAST
(As of November 6)
- 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
IN THE RECORD BOOK
- With many talented players, five current Great Danes are ranked in several locations in the record book. These numbers include statistics from this season alone or their career as a whole.
- Alison Smisdom
- 2nd - 174 career points
- 2nd - 74 career goals
- 4th - 20 goals in 2024
- 8th - 46 points in 2024
- T9th - 26 career assists
- Floor de Ruiter
- T8th - 14 assists in 2024
- 11th - 23 career assists
- Blanca Orsola
- Mara Küskes
- Lara Behn
- 5th - 34 career wins
- T4th - 15 wins in 2024
- 7th - 8 career shutouts
- 9th - 164 career saves
- 9th - 1.55 career goals against average
ABOUT #4 VERMONT
- The Catamounts finished the regular season 8-8 with a 3-3 conference record.
- After opening the conference season with an overtime win over UC Davis, Vermont fell to Maine and New Hampshire before earning its second win over UMass Lowell.
- UVM closed out conference action with a win over Bryant and a loss to UAlbany.
- Marie Dijkstra leads the team with 10 goals, seven assists, and 27 points.
- Sophia Drees follows with 20 points from seven goals and six assists.
- Three Catamounts round out five student-athletes with double-digit point totals - Lotte Kanters (16), Meg Weyer (16), and Sophia Lefranc (13).
SERIES AGAINST THE CATAMOUNTS
- UAlbany leads the all-time series, 26-5.
- The Great Danes ended the regular season with a 3-1 win over the Catamounts.
- Makenna Lowe scored the first and eventual game-winning goal. Tessa Overgoor followed in the second quarter with an unassisted goal for her first collegiate score. Alison Smisdom closed out the Great Danes' scoring with the third goal.
- UAlbany and Vermont have never played each other during the America East Tournament.
ABOUT #5 UMASS LOWELL
- The River Hawks closed the regular season with a 10-7 record and a 3-3 America East record.
- UML opened conference play with a loss at UAlbany but followed with two consecutive wins over Bryant and Maine.
- After adding two consecutive losses to Vermont and New Hampshire, the River Hawks closed the regular season with a win over UC Davis.
SERIES AGAINST THE RIVER HAWKS
- UAlbany leads the all-time series, 14-2.
- Earlier this season, the Great Danes defeated UMass Lowell, 2-1.
- Blanca Orsola, assisted by Floor de Ruiter, scored in the first four minutes. After the River Hawks tied the score, de Ruiter notched what proved to be the game-winning goal in the second quarter.
- UAlbany and UMass Lowell have never played each other during the America East Tournament.
AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
- Thursday - Quarterfinals
- #6 UC Davis vs #3 Maine, 11 am
- #5 UMass Lowell vs #4 Vermont, 2 pm
- Friday - Semifinals
- #3/#6 winner vs #2 New Hampshire, 11 am
- #4/#5 winner vs #1 UAlbany, 2 pm
- Sunday - Championship
- #3/#6/#2 winner vs #4/#5/#1 winner
UP NEXT
If the Great Danes win in the semifinal on Friday, they will compete in the America East championship for a chance to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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