Savage Records Hat Trick to Lead #20 University of Albany Field Hockey Over Fairfield, 7-1 - UAlbany Sports 2009

Albany, N.Y. - Nicole Savage recorded three goals and two assists to lead #20 UAlbany to a 7-1 win over Fairfield in the America East Conference field hockey opener on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Turf Field. The Great Danes improve to 8-2 overall and stand at 1-0 in conference action.

Freshman Inge Baijens got the Great Danes on the board just 2:45 into the contest, taking an assist from Savage, who passed the ball in front of the cage past Fairfield's goalkeeper. Savage added two scores in the span of two minutes, scoring an unassisted goal at 11:15 with a hard shot from the right side of the circle, and then capitalizing on a penalty corner opportunity at 13:12.

Baijens scored her second goal of the game at 13:49 to give UAlbany a 4-0 advantage, smashing a reverse stick shot from the left side of the circle into the back of the cage. Suzy Clephane added one more goal for the Great Danes before the half on a penalty corner, taking assists from Jess Lindsey and Tegan Brown.

Savage wrapped up her hat trick with a second unassisted goal in the 52nd minute with a hard shot from the top of the circle into the left side of the cage. Clephane finished out the scoring for the Great Danes with her second goal of the day, getting assists from Lindsey and Savage on a penalty corner in the 60th minute.

Fairfield (3-7, AE 0-1) broke the scoreless drought with less than two minutes to play in the game, as Marit Westenberg collected the ball on a breakaway and scored on a one-on-one with UAlbany goalkeeper Kristi Troch.

UAlbany outshot Fairfield, 18-7, and held a 12-2 advantage in penalty corners. Christine Hoffman was the starting goalkeeper for the Great Danes, making two saves in the first half, while Troch stopped three shots in the cage in the second stanza. Fairfield's Caitlin O'Donnell and Megan Ambrose split time in the cage for the Stags. O'Donnell got the starting nod, making two saves, while Ambrose made three stops in the second half.

UAlbany (8-2, AE 1-0) will return to action on Sunday, visiting sixth-ranked Syracuse at 2:30 p.m.


Fairfield (3-7, AE 0-1) 0 1 - 1

UAlbany (8-2, AE 1-0) 5 2 - 7

Fairfield: Scoring - Marit Westenberg (1-0). Goalkeepers - Caitlin O'Donnell (35:00, 5 GA, 2 saves), Megan Ambrose (35:00, 2 GA, 3 saves).

UAlbany: Scoring - Nicole Savage (3-2), Inge Baijens (2-0), Suzy Clephane (2-0), Jess Lindsey (0-3), Tegan Brown (0-2). Goalkeepers: Christine Hoffman (35:00, 0 GA, 2 saves), Kristi Troch (35:00, 1 GA, 3 saves


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information