ALBANY, N.Y. – Winners of three straight to open the season, the University at Albany women’s lacrosse team will wrap up their long opening home stand with a visit from #22 Stanford on Friday.
The Great Danes (3-0) have opened the season red-hot, knocking off three straight opponents at home. Most recently, UAlbany hosted Bryant University at the Adirondack Sports Complex indoor facility in Queensbury, N.Y. The game was moved from Casey Stadium due to the wind chill in the forecast.
Despite a slow start against the Bulldogs, the Great Danes quickly found their footing and took command of the game midway through the first half. UAlbany rolled off a nine-goal run to end the first and start the second to take a 13-goal advantage, before Bryant was able to cut the lead to nine before succumbing 21-11.
Sophomore Kendra Harbinger recorded her third-straight game to open the season with at least four goals, while fellow sophomore Kyla Zapolski led all scorers with six goals. UAlbany outshot Bryant 41-22, including 21-8 in the second half, and won 22 ground balls to Bryant’s five for the game.
Stanford is making a two-game trip to the east coast, where they will follow up the game against the Great Danes with a match against Stony Brook. The Cardinal have won their last two straight, against Fresno State and UC Davis, after falling in their season opener by one to Denver.
The Cardinal won the inaugural Pac-12 women’s lacrosse tournament last season, defeating Colorado in the championship game 15-6. Stanford was picked to repeat as Pac-12 champion in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll, garnering five or six first-place votes.
UAlbany remains the lone undefeated team in the America East through the early part of the season. New Hampshire and Vermont are tied for second at 2-1, while preseason favorite and defending champion Stony Brook is fourth at 1-1.
Following the game against Stanford, UAlbany will hit the road for the first time this season to visit Penn State on Saturday, March 9, before completing the two-game road swing at Connecticut on Wednesday, March 13. The Great Danes return to Casey Stadium to host crosstown rival Siena on Saturday, March 16.
THE OUTLOOK: #22 STANFORD (2-1) | Friday, March 1, 3:00 p.m. | Albany, N.Y.
Last we met: W, 11-9, March 30, 2012, Albany, N.Y.
Tale of the Tape
- UAlbany is 3-0 at home this season
- Stanford is 0-0 on the road
- Stanford was ranked #17 in the Inside Lacrosse preseason national poll
- UAlbany leads the America East in 12 team categories, including scoring offense (18.00), scoring margin (7.00), and caused turnovers (9.67)
- UAlbany is one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the country
- Kendra Harbinger leads the conference in goals per game (4.33) and points per game (5.67); she ranks eighth and 10th nationally in each statistic, respectively
- Kyla Zapolski ranks second in goals per game (3.33)
Series History: Tied 1-1
2018 Record: 15-5, (8-2 Pac-12); second place Pac-12, Pac-12 champion, NCAA First Round
Top Offensive Player: Ali Baiocco, So., A, (6g, 5a)
Between the Posts: Trudie Grattan, So., (2-1, 7.50 GAA, .516 Sv%)
