SCORE: #17 UAlbany 2, UMass Lowell 1
 
LOCATION: Alumni Turf - Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 7-1, 2-0 America East | UMass Lowell 4-4, 0-1 America East
 
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes scored two goals to win a one-goal win over the visiting UMass Lowell River Hawks, Friday afternoon.
 
COACH PHIL SYKES: "Huge win today. With UMass Lowell hosting [the America East tournament] last year and being regular season champs, we knew this was going to be a tough game. Down to the final seconds, they could've tied it up late. I'm very proud of our girls dealing with adversity so well, staying composed late, and finishing the game. The whole game I thought we played very well - deserved a few more goals I thought but we will take the 2-1 score and move on with a 'W'."
 
KEY STATS

• Senior Floor de Ruiter led the team with one goal, the game-winning goal, and one assist.
• Senior Blanca Orsola scored her first goal of the year.
• Senior goalie Lara Behn made two major saves late in the game to help preserve the win.
• The Great Danes outshot UMass Lowell 17-4 with a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UAlbany started strong on offense with senior Alison Smisdom tallying the first shot just 98 seconds into play.
• About two minutes later, Floor de Ruiter dribbled the ball into the circle, down to the end line, and made a swift motion to pass the ball to fellow senior, Blanca Orsola.
• Orsola quickly tipped the ball to score the first goal from about seven yards from the net near the stroke marker.
• Not even four minutes later, the River Hawks had tied the game as Madison Leeper scored with an assist from Karli Penrod in a two-v-goalie situation.
• Getting the first chance on goal in the second quarter, de Ruiter took a shot as soon as she dribbled into the circle. The ball went straight from the circle and into the net for an unassisted, go-ahead goal three minutes into the quarter.
• Over 30 minutes of action goes by and neither team is able to get past the goal line.
• Hungry for a score, the UML offense kept pounding at the door towards the end of the fourth but the Great Dane defense would not allow a shot for most of the quarter.
• Taking their chance with an empty net, the River Hawks went up one field player and earned a shot on goal but Lara Behn made the save while the Great Danes worked together to maintain their lead before time expired.

 
NEXT: UAlbany will continue its weekend at home against #14 Liberty on Sunday (Sept. 29) at 12 pm.
 
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