UAlbany Men's Lacrosse Upsets #13 Syracuse, 16-15, in Double Overtime to Kick Off 2013 with a Bang

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – It was a fitting Thompson-to-Thompson ending, as Lyle passed the ball to Miles, who found the back of the net with 3:03 to play in the second overtime, giving UAlbany men’s lacrosse its first-ever win over Syracuse. The Great Danes defeated the 13th-ranked Orange, 16-15, in the 2013 season opener for both programs. It was just the second overtime game in 11 meetings between the two teams, and the first double-overtime contest. It was the first season-opening loss for the Orange since 1996.

UAlbany got on the board first, as all three Thompsons were involved in the first two goals. Miles scored the Great Danes’ first goal, while Lyle assisted Ty at 10:23 to give UAlbany a 2-0 lead over the Orange. UAlbany kept it going with a goal by Will Fuller before Ty Thompson connected on a behind-the-back shot to push the Great Dane lead to 4-0 with 6:56 to play in the first quarter. Syracuse ended the UAlbany rally at 5:13 on a goal by Derek Maltz, but UAlbany pushed the lead to 5-1 at 3:03, as Ty completed a hat trick with an unassisted tally. The Orange scored one more time before the end of the period, getting a goal from Henry Schoonmaker with 8.1 seconds to go.



Syracuse scored first to start the second, as Luke Cometti took an assist from JoJo Marasco less than a minute into play. However, Miles Thompson responded, as he stole an outlet pass from Syracuse goalkeeper Bobby Wardwell, dodged, and found the back of the net with 11:35 to play. Fuller netted his second of the day with an unassisted goal at 8:06, pushing the UAlbany lead to 8-3. Syracuse took advantage of an extra-man opportunity with 5:31 left in the first half, as Matt Walters took an assist from Billy Ward to cut the Orange deficit to 8-4. Syracuse scored last to end the half with under a minute to go, as Marasco connected on an unassisted shot with 54 seconds to play.



UAlbany found the back of the net to start the third quarter, as Ryan Feuerstein took an assist from Matt Garziano at 14:30. However, Syracuse responded two minutes later, as Marasco netted his second goal of the day to cut the UAlbany lead to 9-6, with 12:58 to play. The Orange cut the Great Dane lead to two, 9-7, with just over nine minutes to play in the third, and pulled within one, 9-8, less than a minute later, as Ward, then Kevin Rice scored for Syracuse. 22 seconds later, Scott Loy tied the game, prompting UAlbany to take a timeout. Lyle Thompson put the Great Danes back on top with an unassisted goal at 6:51, and Kevin Glueckert won the ensuing faceoff to give UAlbany another possession. Another Thompson-to-Thompson connection gave the Great Danes back a two-goal lead, 11-9, as Lyle fed Ty in front of the goal at 4:41. Derrick Eccles scored his first collegiate goal at 3:28 on an assist from Miles Thompson, and Feuerstein scored his second goal of the game 25 seconds later, putting UAlbany back on top, 13-9.



The Great Danes got a goal from Ty Thompson, with an assist from Fuller, to push the lead back to four, 14-10, at 13:51 of the fourth period. Cometti responded at the other end following the faceoff, and the Great Danes were unable to take advantage of an extra-man opportunity. Ryan Barber scored an unassisted goal at 11:15 to pull back within two, and the Orange cut it back to one at 8:49 on a tally by Dylan Donahue. Stenberg netted his first of the season at 7:25 to push the lead back to 15-13, but Donahue struck again for the Orange at 4:21 to pull back within one, and then completed a trifecta off an assist from Marasco to tie the game at 15-15 with just under three minutes to play.



Syracuse dominated the first overtime period, taking five shots – three on goal, all stopped by Blaze Riorden – to UAlbany’s zero. The Great Danes won the faceoff to start the second OT, and Lyle found Miles in front of the net for the sudden victory goal.



“These guys have such a great feel for lacrosse and for each other," said UAlbany head coach Scott Marr, in reference to the Thompsons. "It makes it really easy for us to say ‘What’s working? What do you want to do?’ We put it in their hands basically."



The Orange held the advantage in most categories, but not by much. Syracuse outshot UAlbany, 47-45, and held a 36-32 advantage in groundballs. The Orange also won 20-of-35 faceoff opportunities, and the teams were tied with 15 turnovers apiece. However, freshman goalkeeper Riorden was stellar between the pipes for the Great Danes, making 13 saves in 64:57 minutes to earn his first collegiate win. Wardwell stopped seven shots for the Orange.

University of Albany Men’s Indoor Wins Eighth Straight America East Title - UAlbany Sports 2013

BOSTON, Mass. – With a conference record 231.50 points, the University at Albany ran away with its eighth straight America East men’s indoor track and field title Tuesday at the Reggie Lewis Center. In addition, the championship tied a conference record for total indoor titles, 10, done in the fastest amount of time for a member school – 11 years. In addition to winning six event titles, the Great Danes captured the Most Outstanding Field Performer, the top-scoring track athlete, and the Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Alexander Bowen, the Most Outstanding Field Performer, highlighted the meet with an America East record 7’ 3.25” leap in the high jump. Senior Jonathan Santana also earned meet honors, earning 28 points for his team. With a 48.60 time, Santana placed first in the 400m dash, followed by teammates Alex Petit-Frere (48.82) and Taariq Jones (48.94) in the top three slots. Santana also piloted the Great Danes in the 200m dash, finishing second with an IC4A qualifying time of 22.11. In the UAlbany-heavy field, six of the top seven finishers donned purple. Lastly, Santana anchored the 4x400m relay team to a first-place 3:17.41 mark. Petit-Frere, Charles Karam, and Ryan Small ran the first three legs of the winning performance. Karam also earned eight points for the Great Danes in the 500m dash, placing second with a time of 1:05.82. Andrew Pirnie finished second in the 800m with an IC4A qualifying time of 1:53.84, while John DeLallo captured the 1,000m title with a 2:27.64 mark. In addition, DeLallo placed fourth in the mile, meeting IC4A standards (4:14.89). In the 3,000m run, sophomore Christopher Buchanan was the runner-up in a time of 8:26.35. After winning the pole vault title on Monday, Alfonso Scannapieco captured the heptathlon crown with a total of 5,124 points, qualifying for IC4As. Teammate Sean Cooper placed second with 4,843 points, while Nick Mattera took fourth, earning 4,692 points. With the sweeping of both the men’s and women’s indoor titles Tuesday, the UAlbany athletic department has now won 60 conference championships at the Division I level. The championships also mark the first in the era of new University President Dr. Robert Jones. 1) Albany - 231.50 2) Binghamton - 134.50 3) UMBC - 130 4) Maine - 126 5) New Hampshire - 74.50 6) Vermont - 43.50 7) Stony Brook - 33 8) Hartford - 6

University of Albany Women’s Indoor Captures Third America East Title In Four Years - UAlbany Sports 2013

BOSTON, Mass. – Winning by a margin of over 100 points, the University at Albany captured its third America East women’s indoor track and field championship in four years Tuesday at the Reggie Lewis Center. The Great Danes totaled a conference record 233.50 points in the victory.


Winning eight individual titles, junior Kathryn Fanning led the squad with triumphs in the 1,000m (2:50.36) and mile run (4:46.64).

Senior Alli Rogers captured the 400m dash title with a mark of 55.34, while sophomore Michelle Anthony placed first in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.72.

Freshman Annie Johnson, also a member of UAlbany’s softball team, placed second in the 60m dash with an ECAC qualifying time of 7.68. She was followed closely by Jillian Haynes’ 7.69 in third.

In the 200m dash, the Great Danes also took the second and third positions with Haynes (24.95) and Rogers (24.98) both hitting ECAC worthy marks.

Constantly racking up the points throughout the day on the track, Tynelle Taylor-Chase (1:16.52) and Dominique Claudio (1:16.82) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the 500m dash.

Brianne Bellon earned eight points for the Danes in the 800m run (2:13.45), while Miranda McConnell (9:45.97) and Brittney Lane (9:50.86) totaled 11 points, finishing in third and fourth places with ECAC-qualifying times in the 3,000m run.

UAlbany’s 4x400m and 4x800m relay teams both finished in second. The 4x400m squad consisting of Aderinsola Ajala, Taylor-Chase, Claudio, and Sherez Mohamed boasted a time of 3:49.31, while the 4x800m team with Mackenzie Carter, Brittney Killebrew, Jonelle White, and Bellon hit an ECAC-qualifying time of 9:16.18.

On the field side, Rochelle Reid’s 5’ 7” leap in the high jump earned the title for the junior. Teammate Ashley Grant placed second with a 5’ 5.25” mark and freshman Solene Bastien earned fourth with a jump of 5’ 3.75”.

Bastien captured the triple jump title with an ECAC-qualifying mark of 39’ 4”.

In the shot put, sophomore Janice Johnson finished in second place with a throw of 42’ 9”. Teammate Samantha Kosa came in fourth with her 42’ 2” toss.

With the sweeping of both the men’s and women’s indoor titles Tuesday, the UAlbany athletic department has now won 60 conference championships at the Division I level. The championships also mark the first in the era of new University President Dr. Robert Jones.


1) Albany - 233.50

2) UMBC - 131

3) Binghamton - 124.50

4) Vermont - 91

5) New Hampshire - 76.50

6) Maine - 64.50

7) Stony Brook - 44

8) Hartford - 15

University of Albany CAA Football Signs 21 For 2013 - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. - University at Albany head coach Bob Ford announced his 2013 recruiting class Wednesday with the signing of 21 players to National Letters of Intent.

The class hails from seven states, including eight student-athletes from New York, four from both New Jersey and Florida, two from Maryland, and one each from Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia.

With five athletes already on UAlbany's campus this spring semester, the Great Danes welcome enrollees Dorian Polk (Lockport, N.Y.), Malachi Lawrence (Bronx, N.Y.), Michael Senn (Orchard Park, N.Y.), Ian Maltz (Millstone Township, N.J.), and Jack Knecht (Haddonfield, N.J.) to the program.

Polk, a transfer from Erie Community College was the 2012 Scholar-Athlete of the Year at ECC, as well as an all-conference cornerback. Lawerence, a 6'3" wide receiver, comes to UAlbany from Nassau Community College where he recorded 18 catches for 340 yards and four touchdowns in his final year. Senn, an offensive lineman out of Orchard Park led his squad to a 2011 State Championship, while earning All-State recognition. Ian Maltz, a kicker from The Hun School, boasted a 65-yard average kickoff and 40.2 yards per punt, while making 9-of-9 field goal attempts in his senior season. He was recognized as one of the top kickers in the country and could be an answer for the kicking void in UAlbany's depth chart. Lastly, defensive end Jack Knecht was an all-conference pick, recording 48 tackles and three sacks in his final season at Haddonfield Memorial.

Offensively, the Great Danes signed 11 newcomers for the 2013 season. At the quarterback position, UAlbany brings in Kyle Downer (Oak Hill, Va.) and Shane Sweeney (Phelps, N.Y.). Downer, a 6'3" All-State honoree, passed for 1,409 yards (116-187-4) and 12 touchdowns, while rushing 1,460 yards and 25 touchdowns in his senior season. Tagged as a passing quarterback, Sweeney threw for 75 touchdowns and 4,662 yards in his high school career, including 2,005 yards (128-171) and 35 touchdowns in his senior year.

In the running back position, the Great Danes will welcome local product Ryan Griffin, a standout from Shaker High School. Griffin rushed for 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns in his senior season, leading the Blue Bison to a Section II Championship, while earning Liberty League Player of the Year and All-State honors.

In addition to Lawrence, Brad Harris (Orlando, Fla.) and Austin Weeks (Durham, N.C) will join the current UAlbany wide receivers. Averaging 25 yards per reception, Harris made 28 catches for 704 yards and six touchdowns in his final year at Union High School. Weeks, a 2010 State Champion out of Hillside High School, made 36 receptions for 485 yards his senior season.

Tight end Kalief Joyner (Brooklyn, N.Y.) comes to UAlbany after a year at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where he made 20 catches for 366 yards and two touchdowns. Joyner was also an all-league selection for the Christ the King Royals.

UAlbany will add four newcomers to the offensive line. In addition to Senn, Nick Nerolien (Lexington, Mass.), Chizi Mba (Union, N.J.), and JP McCauley (Queensbury, N.Y.) will look to make an impact. Nerolien, a 6'2", 285 pound force out of Lexington, boasted 44 solo tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, six sacks, and four forced fumbles in his senior campaign, while earning first-team all-league honors. At 6'4" and 295 pounds, McCauley was an All-New York State selection and Section II Class A First Team Offensive Lineman this last fall.

Defensively, the Great Danes add nine to the program. Along with Knecht, Mike Simone (Mahopac, N.Y.) will join the defensive ends after earning all-section, all-league, and all-state honors at Mahopac High School. Simone tallied 75 tackles, six sacks, and an interception as his squad's Most Valuable Player in 2012.

Defensive tackle DaeSean Timmons (Hyattsville, Md.) was a two-time all-conference pick, recording 74 solo tackles, 26 for a loss, and nine sacks in his senior season at DeMatha Catholic High School.

With the graduation of four major linebackers on UAlbany's two-deep, Marcel Ngachie (Silver Springs, Md.) and Martel Williams (Plantation, Fla.) will have the opportunity to immediately make an impact. Ngachie led Our Lady of Good Counsel to a 45-4 record and three WCAC Championships in his career, logging 71 tackles, 11 for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception in 2012. Also with a highly successful high school tenure, Williams led St. Thomas Aquinas to a 7A State Championship, while recording 99 tackles, four sacks, and an interception.

Ben Pagan (Highstown, N.J.), a versatile player on the defensive side of the ball comes to UAlbany from the Peddie School. Pagan was a first team All-Prep selection, recording 83 tackles, five sacks, and a safety in his final season.

In addition to Polk, cornerback Anthony DeLuca (Longwood, Fla.) and safety Neil Morrison (Miramar, Fla.), will look to contribute to shutting down the opposition's passing game. DeLuca boasted 103 tackles, including 73 solo and six for a loss, four interceptions, and 17 pass-breakups in his three-season high school career, as well as earning 2012 all-conference honors.

With the 21 newcomers in 2013, UAlbany will kick off a new chapter of Great Dane football. Coach Ford will lead the Danes into both his and the program's 41st varsity season, into their first season in the prestigious Colonial Athletic Association, and into Bob Ford Field - a brand new 8,500 seat stadium.