SCORE: #19 UAlbany 3, #7 Harvard (OT)
 
LOCATION: Berylson Family Field Hockey Field - Cambridge, Mass.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 4-1, 0-0 America East | Harvard 2-1, 0-0 Ivy League
 
SHORT STORY: In a back-and-forth contest between the Great Danes and the Crimson, UAlbany's senior Alison Smisdom scored three goals to propel her team to an overtime victory on the road, Friday evening.
 
COACH PHIL SYKES: "I am super proud of our team today. We played with great energy and focus from the beginning. Being down one late, we showed great character and grit tying the game with only a few seconds to go. This is a big win in a lot of ways."
 
KEY STATS

• Alison Smisdom tallied her second hat-trick of the season.
• All three UAlbany goals were scored during penalty corners.
• Graduate student Delphine Le Jeune assisted two goals.
• Seniors Blanca Orsola and Floor de Ruiter each added one assist.
• Senior goalkeeper Lara Behn saved three shots and graduate student Charlotte Triggs added a defensive save.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Great Danes started strong on offense to get a corner within the first three and a half minutes of action.
• Not allowing the Crimson to get a shot throughout the first quarter, UAlbany continued their offensive push through much of the second quarter.
• A recalled Harvard goal in the second quarter seemed to assist in both teams' efforts to be the first on the board.
• Scoreless at halftime, the Crimson put the first goal on the scoreboard six minutes and 15 seconds into the third quarter.
• Not even a minute later, UAlbany earned a penalty corner which led to their first goal of the evening.
• Alison Smisdom shot the ball with a direct shot from the top off a stick-stop assist from Blanca Orsola and an insert from Delphine Le Jeune.
• Harvard once again tallied the advantage with a goal about midway through the fourth quarter.
• After playing down a goal for two minutes, goalie Lara Behn left the field and the Great Danes were playing with an extra field player.
• A Crimson athlete did get a shot off while the net was empty but pressure from the UAlbany defense made sure it went wide.
• In what could have been the Great Danes' last chance on net, UAlbany earned a penalty corner with less than 20 seconds remaining.
• With an assist from Floor de Ruiter, Smisdom scored the give-and-go goal to tie the game with just 11 seconds remaining in regulation.
• Harvard had the first shot in overtime but it was the Great Danes with the first shot, and goal, to win the contest.
• Six minutes into overtime, UAlbany gained a chance on goal with a penalty corner.
• Making a different play, Le Jeune, on the insert, passed the ball to Smisdom, who instead of being up top was on the close side of the circle. Smisdom swept the ball right into the goal for the UAlbany victory, 3-2.

 
NEXT: The Great Danes are set to return home to host Drexel for a Sunday afternoon matchup. During a halftime ceremony, UAlbany will honor current head coach Phil Sykes' first senior class with a 20-year anniversary ceremony.
 
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