University of Albany Women's Lacrosse Wins America East Regular-Season Title and Will Host Championship - UAlbany Sports 2010

Albany, N.Y. - Goalkeeper Ashley Ross saved McKinley Curro's shot with 39 seconds remaining as UAlbany held off Boston University, 12-11, to win its first-ever America East Conference regular-season title on Saturday, May 1 at John Fallon Field. The Great Danes will host next week's conference postseason championship.

UAlbany (13-2, AE 6-0) led 8-4 early in the second half, but the Boston U. (9-8, AE 5-1) came roaring back with three unanswered. Curro,, a senior attacker, scored consecutive goals. The first came in a free-position situation when her attempt went off Mel Rorie's stick and past Ross. She then converted Traci Landy's pass with a shot from the right on a play that originated off a successful clear.

The Terriers, who have won five consecutive conference championships, were still within 11-10, but UAlbany's Rorie sent a free-position shot into the lower left corner with 4:35 to play. Freshman Danielle Etrasco scored on a free-position opportunity from the left with 58.2 seconds left to slice the deficit to one again. Ross, who had two big saves in the final two minutes, later stopped Curro's game-tying attempt.

In the first half, UAlbany jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening 13-plus minutes. Taylor Frink set up Olivia Jarem on a pass from behind the cage to the top of the crease. Rorie and Christine Grueniger scored one minute and 13 seconds apart. Rorie spun to her left shoulder from the middle of the zone, before Grueniger found the net in transition after a blocked shot in the defensive half of the field started the play.

The Terriers later closed the gap to 5-3 on back-to-back goals by Xan Weitzel and Corcoran Downey. Weitzel scored on an inside roll from the left, while Downey connected in a free-position situation on a bounce shot. Jarem, a senior midfielder, gave her team a 7-4 lead at the intermission by converting a drive from the left point with 27.5 seconds remaining.

Grueniger had four goals, while Rorie scored three times for the Great Danes, who defeated Boston U. for the first time in 12 tries since the series began in 2002. Ross made eight saves. Curro finished with three goals and one assist.

Paw Prints: The Great Danes will host the America East Conference Championship on May 6-8 at John Fallon Field ... UAlbany meets UMBC in the first semifinal on Thursday ... the Great Danes defeated Boston U. for the first time, as the Terriers won each of the previous 11 decisions by at least five goals ... Christine Grueniger became the sixth player in school history to reach the 100-career goal plateau ... Grueniger has 101 goals and 24 assists as a collegian ... Mel Rorie has scored three or more goals in four games this season ... Taylor Frink has the fourth-best single-season assist total in program annals with 22 ... Olivia Jarem has 25 points (21 goals, 4 assists) over her last eight games ... UAlbany has won three consecutive one-goal games for the first time in the program's Division I history.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information