UAlbany Field Hockey Will Face #3 Penn State in NCAA Tournament; Jumps to #17 in National Poll

ALBANY, N.Y. -- After bringing home their third America East Conference Field Hockey Championship title, the UAlbany Great Danes jumped from 21st to 17th on the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday. As a result of earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, the Great Danes will travel to #3 Penn State in the first round of competition. UAlbany (13-7) will take on the Nittany Lions on Saturday, with a time to be announced. Also in the State College bracket are #5 Syracuse, who whill take on #16 Massachusetts. Penn State, winners of the 2012 Big Ten title, stand at 17-3 overall. The Nittany Lions are currently on a seven-game win streak. "Penn State is traditionally very good," said UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes, who has led the Great Danes to three America East titles in the last five years. "We like how we're playing right now, and we are peaking at the right time." The Great Danes, who have been ranked since the first week of the 2010 season, entered the league tournament as the second seed, and defeated top-ranked New Hampshire, 3-1, on their home turf to bring home the championship title. Junior Daphne Voormolen tied a tournament record with four goals and eight total points over the weekend tournament, en route to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship. Voormolen's goal in the championship game, assisted by Amy Nicklin, proved to be the gamewinner. Classmate Corinne McConville was also named to the All-Tournament Team, along with seniors Nina Walters and Jessica Longstreth.