University of Albany Releases 2008 Field Hockey Schedule

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced the school’s 2008 field hockey schedule on Monday, June 16. The Great Danes, who finished the season ranked 19th nationally in 2007, will play a 19-game schedule, including contests against five opponents who finished last season ranked in the top 20.

UAlbany begins its 10th year at the Division I level on August 30 and 31 taking on Radford and American in Washington, D.C. American was the nation’s 14th-ranked team at the conclusion of the 2007 season.

The Great Danes will open up play at home on September 6, hosting Cornell and following with Hofstra on September 7. UAlbany will make a trip to the West Coast on September 13 and 14, taking on California and Stanford, two teams which received votes in the national poll a year ago. The Great Danes will take on Big Ten opponent Michigan on September 19 in Storrs, Conn., before returning to Alumni Turf Field to host Kent State and Colgate on September 21 and 24, respectively. UAlbany will close out the month of September visiting Massachusetts on the 27th and hosting Princeton on the 28th.

The Great Danes play host to Syracuse on October 1 before kicking off America East Conference play on October 4, welcoming Maine to Alumni Turf Field. UAlbany takes on crosstown-rival Siena in the annual meeting between the teams on October 7. The Great Danes visit conference opponent Vermont on October 11 and host Connecticut on October 12. The Huskies finished last season as the nation’s fourth-ranked team.

UAlbany will wrap up the season with three straight conference match-ups, visiting Fairfield (Oct. 18) and New Hampshire (Nov. 2) while hosting reigning America East Conference Champion Boston University on October 25.

UAlbany will look to make an appearance in its seventh consecutive America East Tournament, hosted at the highest seed on November 7-9. The Great Danes made their first-ever appearance in the conference championship game last season, falling to Boston U.

UAlbany, led by head coach Phil Sykes, entering his fifth season at the helm of the program, return all-conference honorees Michelle Simpson and Ashley Ross. Simpson, the 2008 team captain, is a two-time all-conference first-team honoree and was the program’s first-ever All-American last season. Ross, who was elected as a vice-captain along with Michele Polizois and Vanessa Walter, was a first-team and all-academic team member in 2007 and was named to the NFHCA All-Northeast Region squad after finishing the season ranked sixth nationally with a 1.14 goals against average.

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2008 UAlbany Field Hockey Schedule

August: 30 (Sat.) vs. Radford+ 1:00 p.m.; 31 (Sun.) at American 3:00 p.m.

September: 6 (Sat.) Cornell 1:00 p.m.; 7 (Sun.) Hofstra 2:00 p.m.; 13 (Sat.) at California 1:00 p.m.; 14 (Sun.) at Stanford 2:00 p.m.; 19 (Fri.) vs. Michigan^ 3:00 p.m.; 21 (Thurs.) Kent State 1:00 p.m.; 24 (Sun.) Colgate 6:00 p.m.; 27 (Wed.) at Massachusetts 12:00 p.m.; 28 (Sat.) Princeton 2 p.m.

October: 1 (Wed.) Syracuse 3:00 p.m.; 4 (Sat.) Maine* 1:00 p.m.; 7 (Tues.) Siena 3:00 p.m.; 11 (Sat.) at Vermont* 1:00 p.m.; 12 (Sun.) Connecticut 2:00 p.m.; 18 (Sat.) at Fairfield* 1:00 p.m.; 25 (Sat.) Boston U.* 1:00 p.m.

November: 2 (Sun.) at New Hampshire* 12:00 p.m.; 7-9 (Fri.-Sun.) America East Conference Tournament

* America East Conference opponent

+ at American (Washington, D.C.)

^ at Connecticut (Storrs, Conn.)