Christina Patrick Scores in 53rd Minute to Lead University of Albany Field Hockey to 1-0 Win at UMass - UAlbany Sports 2010

Amherst, Mass. - Junior forward Christina Patrick scored her eighth goal of the season to lead #19 UAlbany to 1-0 shutout win over Massachusetts in non-conference field hockey action on Sunday afternoon at Garber Field. The Great Danes improved to 7-2 with the win, while the Minutewomen fell to 4-6 on the season.
After a scoreless first half, Patrick would score the only goal of the game in the 54th minute, taking an assist from sophomore Nina Walters. Walters self-started the play from the right side of the circle. She sent over a cross that slipped through UMass goalkeeper Alesha Widdall, finding Patrick on the opposite post for the finish.

The Great Danes got some late heroics with under five minutes left to play. After UAlbany goalkeeper Kristi Troch charged out, sophomore defender Taylor Luke sprinted back from the top left of the circle to make a diving defensive save off the right post to preserve the victory.

"This was a game that came down to the wire," said head coach Phil Sykes, whose team has now won four of its last five games. "It's always a grudge match between these two teams. This was a very good effort. We won with great team defense and battled really hard down the stretch. Both goalies played very well under extreme pressure situations."

UAlbany goalkeepers Christine Hoffman and Troch combined for their second straight shutout. Hoffman made four saves in the first half, while Troch made two in the second frame to preserve the win. UMass goalkeeper Widdall made four saves for the Minutewomen in 70 minutes of action. UAlbany outshot UMass, 13-11, while UMass held a 7-4 advantage in penalty corners.

UAlbany will return to action on Tuesday Sept. 28 to host crosstown-rival Siena for a matchup at 4 p.m. The Great Danes will be hosting their Stick it to Cancer match against the Saints, as the teams will look to raise money and awareness for the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR).


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information