Women's Lacrosse Falls to America East-Rival Vermont, 11-10, on Last-Second Goal

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Burlington, Vt. -- Sarah DeStefano’s unassisted goal with 1.8 seconds remaining, her second of the game, lifted Vermont to an 11-10 America East Conference victory over UAlbany on Saturday, April 5 at Moulton Winder Field. The Catamounts won for the first time since this series began in 2000.

UAlbany (7-5, AE 1-2) rallied from a 9-8 deficit with less than five minutes remaining. Kayla Best, who had three goals and two assists, connected off a Rory Redmond’s pass from behind the cage to draw her team even. Best extended her scoring streak to 24 consecutive games. Christine Grueniger put her team ahead with her 15th of the season, as she found a lane in the middle of the crease with 1:17 to play.

Vermont (6-5, AE 3-1) regrouped with a pair of goals in the last 45 seconds of regulation. Megan MacDonald tallied her career-high fourth goal of the game on a free-position attempt that tied the contest at 10 apiece. UVM’s Kristin Millar then forced Jodi Battaglia into a turnover with 13 seconds on the clock. DeStefano, a junior attacker, finished off the winning play by finding a hole in the middle field and sending a blast high into the net.

The Great Danes, who played without injured leading-scorer Tee Ladouceur, led by three in the opening half after Battaglia found the cage off a Stacey Brown’s feed. UAlbany still led 7-4 early in final period as Best and Brown converted back-to-back free-position opportunities. The Catamounts answered by scoring three times in a three-minute-and-34-second span. Millar, a junior midfielder who had one goal and three assists, tied the contest with her 27th of the year.

UAlbany’s Brown finished with two goals and one assist, while Brittany Scott and Battaglia each scored twice. Vermont’s Sara Buxton had two goals and one assist, while goalkeeper Meaghan Hanley made 11 saves. Eight of the nine meetings between these teams have been decided by two goals or less.

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Vermont 11, UAlbany 10

UAlbany – Scoring: Kayla Best 3-2, Stacey Brown 2-1, Jodi Battaglia 2-0, Brittany Scott 2-0, Christine Grueniger 1-0, Rory Redmond 0-1; Goalkeeper(s): Katie Neer (60:00, 11 saves, 11 GA).

Vermont – Scoring: Megan MacDonald 4-0, Sara Buxton 2-1, Sarah DeStefano 2-0, Kristen Millar 1-3, Tori Wasson 1-0, Alison Haigh 1-0, Goalkeeper(s): Meaghan Hanley (60:00, 11 saves, 10 GA).