University of Albany Men’s Lacrosse Takes Down Stony Brook 22-9 for Third-Straight America East Title - UAlbany Sports 2015

ALBANY, N.Y. – The #7/7 UAlbany men’s lacrosse team secured its second America East Tournament three-peat in dominating fashion on Saturday, crushing rival #17/16 Stony Brook 22-9 in the conference title game at Bob Ford Field. UAlbany (15-2) earns its third-consecutive America East title and seventh overall under coach Scott Marr, all coming in the past 13 years. In addition, the Great Danes have won their last 22 games against America East opponents, including all 16 regular season and six tournament games the past three years. Up 8-5 midway through the second quarter against Stony Brook (13-5), UAlbany went on a 5-0 tear in the next 15 minutes to essentially seal the game. Leading 16-9, the Great Danes put together a 6-0 streak in the final 10 minutes to end the game. "I can't say enough about the preparation this team put in and the hard work they did,” said Marr. “The defense was great today, and we knew we could score a lot of goals, and it was a complete effort today." With the victory, UAlbany earns the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA selection show will air live on ESPNU on Sunday, May 3rd at 9 p.m. UAlbany is in the running for a seed and potential home game in the NCAA First Round. Lyle Thompson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Tournament, scoring five goals today all in the first half. He added an assist for six points on Saturday, totaling 15 points over the two UAlbany games. “It feels real good [to win the America East Tournament], and I feel better about this one, maybe because it is my last year, and Stony Brook is a big rival,” said Thompson. Along with Thompson, Cason Liles, Blaze Riorden and Mike Russell were named to the All-Championship Team from UAlbany. On the offensive end, Connor Fields led UAlbany with eight points, just one away from a career-high, on four goals and four assists. Fields has 77 points this year, the eighth-highest single season points tally in UAlbany history. Seth Oakes tied a career-high seven points on four goals and three assists while John Maloney notched a goal and three assists. With 22 goals on Saturday, outshooting the Seawolves 48-25, it is the eighth time this season UAlbany has netted at least 20 goals. “I went into halftime without a goal,” said Fields. “I took Lyle’s advice, trying to dodge and find the lane. I was just trying to get open.” Riorden, with nine saves in 56:34 of playing time, led a defense that improves to 10-0 when holding UAlbany to under 10 goals. JD Colarusso finished the game with a save and no goals allowed in the final 3:26. “I preached that, we need a stop, we need a stop, and everyone played well on this side,” said Riorden. “We always preach that it is not how you start, but how you finish.” Liles took all faceoffs for UAlbany, winning 20 out of 33 of them. Including Thursday the freshman went 32-48 from the faceoff-X. With today’s win, UAlbany’s Justin Berger has been part of the last four America East Tournament winners, transferring from Stony Brook after the 2012 season to UAlbany and being with the Great Danes the last three years. For Stony Brook, Challen Rogers netted three goals, while Mike Rooney had a goal and three assists. Hayden Johnstone got the loss on Saturday in goal, saving 11 shots and allowing 22 goals. Stony Brook got off to a quick start in the first quarter with the game’s first two goals. Thompson took control of the offense, taking an Oakes pass and scoring while faking out the keeper, adding another with a rocket after stepping in front of his defender and then adding another on a spin move and long range shot. Later, Maloney drew a double team to free up Kyle McClancy for the point blank shot and score. After Ryan Bitzer scored on the catch and shoot, Liles won a faceoff on a violation, leading to Adam Osika going towards the cage, firing while wide open and scoring in the quarter’s closing seconds to make it 5-3 UAlbany. Osika’s goal started a run into the second quarter as Oakes went around a screen set by Thompson for throw and score. Then Thompson added two goals in a span of 33 seconds off a jumping shot and score and another on a shovel shot from around the cage to make it 8-3. Stony Brook scored twice in the span of a minute; Jeff Reh put in a rebound from Rooney and Rogers sprinted from the far side to inside his defender and score close range. After a Riorden save, UAlbany again scored in transition as Tim Cox went around the screen and buried the shot long range with 5:42 left. Neither side the rest of the half as UAlbany led 9-5. Riorden and the defense held strong while down two men as James Burdette caused a turnover on Alex Corpolongo to end the threat. UAlbany got its own 6-on-4 chance minutes later and scored on it, passing around from Oakes to Jake Cullen for the point blank score. UAlbany continued the attack, adding three goals in the next 2:30: Derrick Eccles raced around the cage for a score, a catch and shoot from Thompson to Fields and McClancy with a perfect pass to Fields in front of the goal circle for a goal, completing a 5-0 run. The Seawolves got two back off Rogers hitting a shot in man-up and Jake Sheets adding another on a transition play. UAlbany got the goals back off a transition attack from Fields to a jumping Oakes and Ky Tarbell shaking a defender to open the passing lane to Fields for the goal. Stony Brook added a Rooney goal before the end of the period to make it 15-8 after three. Oakes earned a highlight-reel goal, coming from behind the cage and flinging the ball with one hand over the goalie’s shoulder. Rogers scored 43 seconds later as the score stood at 16-9 with 12:12 left. From there, UAlbany scored the last six goals and never looked back. Cullen scored man-up, Fields used a stutter step and passed to Maloney for the fire and score then scored himself on the one-hand throw inside the post, Oakes on an open space pepper shot, McClancy on the catch and shoot from Maloney and Bennett Drake adding a man-up goal from Eccles. Colarusso got the late save on a Reh shot as UAlbany took the 22-9 victory. UAlbany drew a crowd of 2,146 for the title game at Bob Ford Field. 2015 America East All-Championship Team Lyle Thompson, UAlbany (Most Outstanding Player) Cason Liles, UAlbany Blaze Riorden, UAlbany Mike Russell, UAlbany Dylan Curry, Stony Brook Lucas Rock, Stony Brook Kevin Sanna, Hartford Ryan Vanderford, Hartford Ian MacKay, Vermont Cam Milligan, Vermont