University of Albany Women's Lacrosse Wins 16-11 in Non-League Contest Against Longwood

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. -- Kayla Best and Tee Ladouceur each had four goals in leading UAlbany to a 16-11 non-league victory over Longwood on Sunday, March 30 at John Fallon Field. The Great Danes, who improved to 7-3 overall, have won five of their last six games.

UAlbany led 9-6 at halftime, but then ran off four unanswered during the opening 10 minutes of the final period. Ladouceur converted a free-position attempt to begin that stretch. Freshman Nikki Branchini, who had a career-high three goals, later drove around a defender in the middle of the zone. Brittany Scott sent a free-position shot into the lower left corner, before Ladouceur drove to the cage and switched to her right hand for a seven-goal cushion with 20:07 to play. The freshman midfielder had a team-leading 29 goals.

Longwood (4-9) held a 2-1 advantage early in the first half after Liz Sellmayer cut to the top of the crease to finish off Christine Comeau’s feed. The Great Danes answered by scoring four consecutive times over the next five minutes. Jodi Battaglia drew her team even with a free-position goal and then set up Best on a right-to-left crossing pass with 23:11 left in the stanza. Scott, a senior midfielder, completed a fastbreak, before Ladouceur was credited with a goal after a Lancer defender misplayed a loose ball into her own net.

UAlbany was still on top, 8-4, after Jane Bush scored from the top of the crease, but the Lancers cut that lead in half with a pair of unassisted goals. Sellmayer netted her second of the game when she rotated inside two defenders from left of the cage. Carlie Nethken then found the net on a rebound after UAlbany goalkeeper Katie Neer stopped Sellmayer’s initial shot. The Great Danes took a three-goal margin to the break when Best, a sophomore midfielder, scored in transition by spinning to her left shoulder with 2:43 remaining.

“We made good adjustments against their defense and caused some turnovers by riding well,” said UAlbany coach Lindsey Hart, whose team is off to its best start since the 1998 campaign will host fifth-ranked Syracuse on Wednesday. “We didn’t execute the way we wanted for the full sixty minutes. We got away from a disciplined style at times and didn’t finish every play.”

Sophomore midfielder Paige Farmer totaled three goals and one assist for the Lancers, who are in their second season at the NCAA Division I level. Goalkeeper Eliza Coughter made 10 saves. UAlbany’s Neer and Emily Miller combined stop 13 shots in the cage.

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UAlbany 16, Longwood 11

Longwood – Scoring: Page Farmer 3-1, Liz Sellmayer 2-0, Amanda Bereznay 1-0, Carlie Nethken 1-0, Britt Fraquharson 1-0, Lauren Barnaba 1-0, Kesley Dean 1-0, Karli Brentlinger 1-0, Christine Comeau 0-1; Goalkeeper(s): Eliza Coughter (60:00, 10 saves, 16 GA).

UAlbany – Scoring: Kayla Best 4-0, Tee Ladouceur 4-0, Nikki Branchini 3-0, Brittany Scott 2-0, Jodi Battaglia 1-1, Jane Bush 1-0, Taylor Frink 1-0, Stacey Brown 0-1; Goalkeeper(s): Katie Neer (47:38, 9 saves, 7 GA), Emily Miller (12:22, 4 saves, 4 GA).