UALBANY MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES CHALLENGING 2016-17 NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

UAlbany Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany men’s basketball team has announced its non-conference schedule for the 2016-17 season, including 15 games before the start of America East play.

 Among UAlbany’s 15 non-conference games include the annual Albany Cup against Siena, which will be played for the first time ever in the SEFCU Arena on November 27th. It is also the first time UAlbany will host Siena on campus since 1976. That contest is one of 14 total home games at the SEFCU Arena in the 2016-17 regular season, including non-conference and America East matchups. 

The non-conference slate also includes four games in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Tip-Off Classic, three contests against 2016 NCAA Tournament participants and eight matchups against in-state opponents. UAlbany will play games in five different states, including Texas and Ohio, in this season’s non-league play.

 “I am excited about the challenging non-conference schedule we have in place, we open the season playing two major level schools on the road and have three major level schools on the schedule,” said UAlbany head coach Will Brown. “We will be playing in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff at Mohegan Sun which is a tremendous event. We are also looking forward to our local rivalry game with Siena which will be played on our home court, in front of our fans, in the SEFCU Arena. This schedule will challenge us early and often and will more than prepare us for America East Conference play.”

2016-17 UAlbany Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule 

Date Opponent Location Time (ET) Hall of Fame Tip Off-Classic - Campus Sites 11/11 @ Penn State University Park, Pa. 7 p.m. 11/14 @ Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 7 p.m. 11/16 Oneonta Albany, N.Y. 8 p.m. Hall of Fame Tip Off-Classic - Springfield Bracket 11/19 vs. Grand Canyon Uncasville, Conn. 8 p.m. 11/20 vs. Brown Uncasville, Conn. 8 p.m. 11/27 Siena (Albany Cup) Albany, N.Y. 7 p.m. 11/30 Holy Cross Albany, N.Y. 7 p.m. 12/3 @ Yale New Haven, Conn. 2 p.m. 12/7 Marist Albany, N.Y. 7 p.m. 12/10 @ Colgate Hamilton, N.Y. 2 p.m. 12/12 @ Canisius Buffalo, N.Y. TBA 12/17 St. Francis Brooklyn Albany, N.Y. 7 p.m. 12/20 @ SMU Dallas, Texas 8 p.m. 12/30 @ Columbia New York, N.Y. TBA 1/2 Cornell Albany, N.Y. 7 p.m.

UALBANY VOLLEYBALL IMPROVES TO 2-0 IN AMERICA EAST PLAY WITH FOUR-SET VICTORY VS. UMASS LOWELL

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany volleyball team opened at home with a four-set victory over UMass Lowell (25-18, 17-25, 25-14, 25-20) for its second win in as many chances in America East play.

At 1-1 in the match, UAlbany (8-6, 2-0 AE) dominated UMass Lowell (5-11, 0-2 AE) in set three and won six of the final seven points in the fourth game to take the victory in the match.

UAlbany remains at home for its next match, hosting Hartford on Sunday, October 2nd at 2 p.m.

HEUSER FOUR-POINT GAME SENDS UALBANY FIELD HOCKEY TO 4-0 WIN AT UNH

DURHAM, N.H. – Paula Heuser notched a goal and two assists for the Great Danes as the UAlbany field hockey team shut out UNH 4-0 to begin America Easy play. Heuser scored the team’s first goal and assisted the next two as UAlbany (6-4, 1-0 AE) earned its second consecutive four-goal victory.

Maxi Primus earned the shutout in goal with three saves against New Hampshire (2-7, 0-1 AE). As team, UAlbany outshot UNH 16-5.

UAlbany returns to the Alumni Turf to take on #20 Maine in the America East home opener on Sunday, October 2nd at 1 p.m.

Courtesy: UA Sports

UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 2016-17 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

UAlbany Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. – After announcing their slate of conference games a few weeks ago, the University at Albany women’s basketball team has now announced its non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2016-17 season.

 2016-17 UAlbany Women’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

 Date Opponent

11/12 at Kentucky (Kentucky Classic) 11/13 vs. Miami (Kentucky Classic) 11/16 Army 11/19 Boston University 11/22 at Fordham 11/27 Siena 11/30 at St. John’s 12/3 at Yale 12/6 Fairfield 12/10 at Wagner 12/12 Post 12/18 at St. Bonaventure 12/29 at Dartmouth

UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY'S SETH OAKES DRAFTED 8TH OVERALL TO NEW ENGLAND BLACK WOLVES IN 2016 NLL DRAFT

UAlbany Sports Information

OAKVILLE, Ontario – Former UAlbany attack and Tewaaraton nominee Seth Oakes was selected eighth overall in the first round by the New England Black Wolves of the 2016 National Lacrosse League (NLL) First Year Player Draft. 

Oakes played two years for the Great Danes, earning All-America honors last season. The two-time America East All-Conference player and 2016 Tewaaraton Watch player earned 121 points off 98 goals and 23 assists in 33 games, ranking in the top-10 in goals per game in Division I both years at UAlbany.

With the pick, UAlbany has had at least one player selected in the NLL First Year Player Draft each year since 2012 and one in the first round each of the past three years.

The 2016 NLL First Year Player Draft was held at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

The Black Wolves play their first game of the season at Rochester on January 7th, 2017.

Last season, New England finished with a 10-7 record for second in the East Division, defeating Georgia to reach the NLL Division Finals.

#20 UALBANY FIELD HOCKEY SCORES FOUR UNANSWERED FOR 4-2 COMEBACK VICTORY AT ST. JOSEPH’S

UAlbany Sports Information

 PHILADELPHIA – The #20 UAlbany field hockey team rallied from down two with four goals in a row to earn a 4-2 road victory over Saint Joseph’s on Sunday afternoon.

 Down two in the opening 16 minutes, UAlbany (5-4) tied the game vs. St. Joseph’s (6-4) before halftime with two goals off penalty corners.

 Frederike Helmke put UAlbany ahead on a penalty stroke goal in the 64th minute, then Emily Fraser sealed it with a late goal for the 4-2 victory.

NO. 22/23 UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY FCS FOOTBALL STAYS PERFECT WITH 20-9 TRIUMPH OVER ST. FRANCIS

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – Scoring 20 second-half points, the No. 22/23 University at Albany football team came from behind to steal a 20-9 victory over Saint Francis University (Pa.) Saturday night at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.

With the victory the Great Danes improved to 4-0 on the season, while St. Francis fell to 1-3.

 TODAY’S WIN…

 - Improved UAlbany’s record to 4-0 overall.

 - Improved UAlbany’s series record to 15-0 against SFU.

- Improved UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 270-183.

- Improved Coach Gattuso’s career record to 111-45.

- Improved Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 14-13.

 - Tied UAlbany’s fourth-best start in program history.

 - Marked the third time UAlbany has started the season 4-0 in the Division I era (2001, 2014, 2016) and the sixth time in program history.

 UP NEXT After a bye week, UAlbany returns to action Oct. 8, hosting Richmond for Homecoming. Click here to buy tickets.

UALBANY MEN'S BASKETBALL ALUM EVAN SINGLETARY SIGNS PRO CONTRACT WITH ISKRA SVIT IN SLOVAKIA

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – Former UAlbany standout guard Evan Singletary has signed a professional contract to play for BK Iskra Svit in Slovakia for the 2016-17 season.

 Singletary, a two-time America East All-Conference First Team guard, started both years at UAlbany after transferring from Moberly Community College.

 The 2014-15 Riley Wallace Finalist for top transfer in Division I averaged 13 points and 2.9 assists per game, helping the Great Danes to a pair of postseason appearances and the 2014-15 America East Tournament title.

 “I am excited for Evan, as it has been a goal of his to play professional basketball,” said UAlbany head coach Will Brown. “He is a dynamic point guard who will enjoy tremendous success and a great career in Europe.”

 Singletary joins UAlbany alumni Jamar Wilson, Peter Hooley and Ray Sanders as former Great Dane men’s basketball players currently playing professionally.

 Iskra Svit plays in the Slovak Extraliga, the top professional league in Slovakia, in the western part of the nation. The team was a semifinalist in the league in 2012 and 2014 plus was the Slovakian Cup winner in 2014. The team begins its 36-game season on October 8th.

University of Albany Women's Volleyball Defeats Army, Takes Invitational Trophy - UAlbany Sports 2016

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The UAlbany volleyball team came back from down 2-1 to defeat Army in five (25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-9) to earn the Army Invitational championship with three victories over the weekend.

 With the win, UAlbany (6-6) has won four straight matches to enter conference play. All four victories came against teams that stood at least three matches over .500 going into the contest.

 In addition, it is the first time UAlbany has won all three matches in an in-season tournament in four years. “We showed a lot of poise today; Army came out fired up, and we were a little emotionally spent from two wins yesterday,” said UAlbany head coach MJ Engstrom. “We switched the lineup and started serving at the same aggressive level as we did yesterday. I’m really proud of the way we pushed through this match, we used everybody, showed some grit and dug down deep to come out with a win.”

 Laini Leindecker was named the tournament MVP after earning a double-double of 18 kills and 20 digs against Army. In total, she had three double-doubles in the tournament, totaling 44 kills and 48 digs.

 Nicole Otero also earned a place on the All-Tournament Team, notching 79 digs, six aces and 14 assists, including 40 digs and six assists against Army (8-6). “Every single person gave it their all, and we played with heart,” said Leindecker. “I am proud of how we handled that as a team, and I am excited to see how we build off this.”

 Mikala McCauley also had a double-double with 29 assists and 12 digs. Akuabata Okenwa tallied nine kills and five blocks while Chloe Evering had 12 kills, four digs and three blocks. For Army, Sydney Morriss hit .405 with 17 kills and six digs. Olivia Fairfield had 15 kills and three blocks while Allie Strong had a double-double of 10 kills and 21 digs.

IBITOKEN-HANKS 4 TOUCHDOWN NIGHT LEADS UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY FOOTBALL OVER HOLY CROSS, 45-28

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – Led by Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks’ four rushing touchdowns and Neven Sussman’s two long touchdown passes to Zee Roberson, the No. 25 ranked University at Albany football team overcame Holy Cross 45-28 Saturday night at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.

The home-opening win in front of 8,040 fans lifted the Great Danes to 3-0 on the season, while the Crusaders fell to 1-2.

 TODAY’S WIN…

 - Improved UAlbany’s record to 3-0 overall.

- Improved UAlbany’s series record to 2-1 against Holy Cross.

- Improved UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 269-183.

- Improved Coach Gattuso’s career record to 110-45.

- Improved Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 13-13.

UALBANY WOMEN’S LACROSSE ALUMNI GAME SET FOR OCTOBER 15TH ON JOHN FALLON FIELD

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany women’s lacrosse program is calling all former players to return to campus for the annual alumni game on Saturday, October 15th at noon.

 The annual alumni game pits the former Great Danes against the current UAlbany squad on John Fallon Field.

 The game is free to attend by the public. For $40 per person, alumni can play in the game, receive a Great Danes Lacrosse T-shirt plus have appetizers after the game at Across the Street Pub.

 Interested alumni should contact assistant coach Taylor Frink at tfrink@albany.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY FOOTBALL WEEKLY TO AIR SATURDAYS ON MY4 - UALBANY SPORTS 2016

ALBANY, N.Y. -- For the third straight year, UAlbany Football Weekly will air on MY4 (WNYA) each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. during the University at Albany football team’s season.

NBC13 (WNYT) sports director Rodger Wyland along with Chris Onorato and Ashley Miller will host the 30-minute show with Great Danes head football coach Greg Gattuso. Tune in for a behind the scenes look at the team, including player and coach feature stories, interviews, a recap of last week’s game and an in-depth preview of the team’s upcoming clash.

You can find WNYA My4 Albany on channel 4 on Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS, channel 51 over the air and on DirecTV and Dish Network, channel 9 on Mid-Hudson Cable and channel 5 on Comcast.

FOOTBALL OPENS CAA SLATE AT RHODE ISLAND SATURDAY

UAlbany Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Coming off the programs’ first FBS victory, overcoming Buffalo 22-16, the University at Albany football team opens CAA play at Rhode Island on Sept. 10 at Meade Stadium.

UALBANY-RHODE ISLAND SERIES UAlbany owns a 2-1 lead in the all-time series with Rhode Island, including wins in the last two meetings. Last season, the Great Danes topped the Rams 35-7 in Albany. In their last meeting in Kingston, UAlbany captured the program’s first CAA victory in program history on Sept. 20, 2014, winning 37-20.

GREAT DANES RECEIVE VOTES IN TOP 25 With the season-opening win over Buffalo, UAlbany is on the brink of breaking into the Top 25 in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS FCS media poll. The Great Danes were the first team off the Coaches Top 25 list with 53 points, and fifth off the media’s top 25 with 181 points. UAlbany was last ranked in the Top 25 in 2014.

 SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island (0-1, 0-0 CAA) comes off a 55-6 loss at Kansas. In 2015, the Rams finished the season with 1-10 overall mark and 1-7 record in the CAA. URI returns nine offensive starters and seven defensive starters from last year.

 A UALBANY WIN WOULD… - Improve UAlbany’s record to 2-0 overall. - Give UAlbany a 4-14 all-time record vs. CAA opponents. - Improve UAlbany’s series record to 3-1 against Rhode Island. - Improve UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 268-183. - Improve Coach Gattuso’s career record to 109-45. - Improve Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 12-13.

 A UALBANY LOSS WOULD… - Make UAlbany’s record 1-1 overall. - Give UAlbany a 3-15 all-time record vs. CAA opponents. - Drop UAlbany’s series record to 2-2 against Rhode Island. - Drop UAlbany’s all-time varsity record to 267-184. - Drop Coach Gattuso’s career record to 108-46. - Drop Coach Gattuso’s record at UAlbany to 11-14.

 NICASTRO PICKS OFF WHERE HE LEFT OFF Ending his season with a knee injury in UAlbany’s first game of the year at Buffalo in 2015, redshirt junior linebacker Michael Nicastro picked up where he left off this year at UB. Nicastro picked off the first pass of the game and returned it 38 yards to the 7-yard line, setting up the Danes’ first touchdown. Nicastro totaled 11 tackles (six solo) in the victorious opener.

 SUSSMAN CONNECTS FOR TWO Sophomore quarterback Neven Sussman totaled 113 passing yards and two touchdowns in UAlbany’s win over Buffalo, completing 14-of-21 passes with no interceptions. Sussman connected a 5-yard TD pass to Anthony Manzo-Lewis just 2:03 into the game. He then threw a career-long 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Brad Harris with 9:37 left in the game and also hit Harris on the two-point conversion to give UAlbany a 22-16 lead. 

BROWN’S BIG RETURN At Buffalo, redshirt sophomore Kareem Brown recorded a 43-yard kickoff return with 2:24 remaining in the second quarter, putting UAlbany on the UA-47. The kickoff return set up UAlbany’s second touchdown of the game that gave the Great Danes a 14-6 lead. 

IBITOKUN-HANKS RUNS FOR 100 Sophomore running back Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks recorded his third career 100+ rushing game at Buffalo, logging 104 yards on 23 carries. He also hit the mark in back-to-back games at Richmond (202 yards, 25 carries) and Delaware (135 yards, 28 carries) in 2015.

 UALBANY FOOTBALL WEEKLY ON MY4 For the third straight year, UAlbany Football Weekly will air on MY4 (WNYA). NBC13 (WNYT) sports director Rodger Wyland along with Chris Onorato and Ashley Miller will host the 30-minute show with Great Danes football coach Greg Gattuso every Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

 UALBANY TEAMS UP WITH ESPN RADIO UAlbany agreed to a new broadcast partnership with ESPN Radio for all football and men’s basketball games this year. Fans in the Capital District can tune their dials to 104.5 FM to listen in, or hear the broadcasts live online from anywhere in the world on 1045theteam.com. However, due to scheduling conflicts, UAlbany’s first two football games at Buffalo and Rhode Island will be aired on Rewind 105.7 FM and rewind.1057.com.

 GREAT DANES TO OPEN 2017 AT OLD DOMINION, 2018 AT PITT UAlbany will open the 2017 football season at Old Dominion University and the 2018 season at the University of Pittsburgh. The meetings will mark UAlbany’s third and fourth Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) games. In the program’s first two FBS clashed were against Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

 UP NEXT UAlbany opens its home schedule against Holy Cross on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.

UALBANY-CINCINNATI MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME ON NOVEMBER 14TH TO AIR ON ESPNU

UAlbany Sports Information

 CINCINNATI – The American Athletic Conference has announced that the UAlbany-Cincinnati men’s basketball game on Monday, November 14th will air nationally on ESPNU.

 This game will be UAlbany’s second contest as part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic. The game, set for a 7 p.m. ET tip, will be a campus site contest at the University of Cincinnati. 

UAlbany is coming off its fourth consecutive postseason appearance last year, finishing at 24-9 overall with a berth in the College Basketball Invitational. Cincinnati went 22-11 overall last year and was an at-large into the NCAA Tournament. Last season, UAlbany’s opening game of the season against Kentucky was aired nationally on the SEC Network

SCHNEIDER MOVES TO FOURTH ALL-TIME IN GOALS IN UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY WOMEN’S SOCCER HISTORY IN 2-1 OVERTIME LOSS TO SETON HALL

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany women’s soccer team went to overtime for the second straight home game, falling to Seton Hall 2-1 just under three minutes into extra time on Thursday night.

2015 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR DANA BOZEK JOINS UALBANY FIELD HOCKEY

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – The 2015 MAX Field Hockey National High School Player of the Year Dana Bozek has joined UAlbany for the 2016 season.

 Bozek made her debut for UAlbany on August 28th when the Great Danes defeated Bryant. “We are very excited that Dana is part of our Great Dane family,” said UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes. “Her family is all about field hockey, with her sisters both being All-Americans, and she is coming from one of the best high school programs in the country.”

PAULA HEUSER PASSES 200 CAREER POINTS MARK AS #9 UALBANY FIELD HOCKEY DEFEATS DARTMOUTH 3-1

UAlbany Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. – The #9 UAlbany field hockey team completed its year-opening homestand with a 3-0 start with a 3-1 victory over Dartmouth on the Alumni Turf on Saturday afternoon. 

UAlbany (3-0) scored the first three goals of the contest in the first 41 minutes to earn the victory over Dartmouth (0-1). The Great Danes outshot Dartmouth 26-10 in the game. “We are still, given that the season is young, building our trust and getting used to our style,” said UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes.

“We set each other up well, but their goalie played great. We liked the offense we had.” Paula Heuser scored a goal in the sixth minute to eclipse the 200-point mark in her collegiate career, standing with 201 after the game.

 The Great Danes have a quick turnaround, heading to the campus of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania to play #18 Penn State tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. UAlbany and Penn State both enter Sunday’s contest at 3-0 on the year.

uNIVERSITY OF ALBANY FOOTBALL TAKES DOWN BUFFALO, 22-16, FOR PROGRAM’S FIRST FBS WIN

UAlbany Sports Information

 BUFFALO, N.Y. – With a suffocating defensive effort, the University at Albany football team earned the program’s first win over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program Friday night at UB Stadium, overcoming the University at Buffalo, 22-16.

With the victory, the Great Danes move to 1-0 on the season. “I think it’s a lesson for our team that if we do things the right way, we can be a pretty good team,” said Head Coach Greg Gattuso. “Buffalo is a good team, they’ve had a lot of changeover, but there was a big difference from last year and this year. I’m proud of the kids and the way they played. They went out and hustled and did what we asked them to do and they stayed with it.”

Offensively, Neven Sussman led UAlbany, completing 14-of-21 passes, totaling 113 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver caught a team-high five passes for 33 yards, while redshirt junior Brad Harris and tight end Anthony Manzo-Lewis accounted for the Danes’ two touchdowns. 

“Our defense, I know they gave up some yards today, but they were lights-out, turning the ball over and I thought we tackled really well, which is really important,” said Gattuso. Defensively, Malachi Hoskins, Abner Logan, and Michael Nicastro each recorded 11 tackles, while the squad totaled three interceptions and a fumble.

In addition, UAlbany only allowed the Bulls to convert on 5-of-17 third-down attempts. Just 2:03 minutes into the contest, the Great Danes took the lead sparked by redshirt junior Michael Nicastro’s heroics. Almost exactly at the same location where his season ended almost exactly a year ago on a devastating knee injury, Nicastro immediately made a statement, picking off Buffalo starter Grant Rohach’s pass at the UB-45 yard line and returned it 38 yards to the seven.

The Danes’ offense made quick work, using two plays to get in the end zone, capped by Sussman’s five-yard pass to Manzo-Lewis.

 In the defensive battle, the Great Danes held Buffalo off the board through the first quarter. The Bulls attempted a 43-yard field goal at the 6:14 mark, but Adam Micheson’s kick sailed wide right. Junior cornerback Jamal Robinson gave UAlbany’s offense an added opportunity with 2:19 on the clock in the opening stanza, recording an interception on Buffalo’s 21-yard line. However, the Bulls’ defense stepped up and forced the Danes to attempt a 35-yard field goal. The kick missed to the left, leaving the score 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

To start the second, Buffalo pieced together a 12-play, 65-yard drive, capped by Mitcheson’s 32-yard field goal at the 10:53 mark. With 2:32 remaining in the half, Mitcheson cut the margin to one, 7-6, on his 37-yard field goal. The Bulls used nine plays to travel 31 yards and set up the boot.

 However, the Great Danes quickly responded, as Kareem Brown opened the drive with a 43-yard kickoff return to the UAlbany-47. After a personal foul call against the Bulls, Ibitokun-Hanks broke free down the UAlbany sideline and scampered 33-yards into the end zone. The touchdown, with Ethan Stark’s point-after, gave the Danes a 14-6 advantage with 1:42 left in the second quarter.

 Utilizing a hurry-up offense, Buffalo quickly moved the ball down the field in the waning seconds. Quarterback Tyree Jackson led the Bulls, completing six passes in the 75-yard drive, capped with a 17-yard fading pass to tight end Mason Schreck. The touchdown and extra point cut the margin to one, 14-13, at the half. Out of the break,

UAlbany steadily made progress down the field, as Sussman hit Roberson with an 11-yard completion, and Ibitokun-Hanks carried the ball five times for gains. However, the Danes were held to a 35-yard field goal attempt that again missed left of the uprights. With a small swing in the momentum,

Buffalo drove 52 yards on 11 plays, setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt. Mitcheson’s boot was good, giving Buffalo its first lead of the game, 16-14, with 6:12 remaining in the third quarter. Forcing Buffalo to punt in it first drive of the fourth quarter,

UAlbany’s offense used seven plays to work 81 yards down the gridiron. Sussman launched a 24-yard pass to Crockett and immediately followed with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Brad Harris. Going for two with a 20-16 lead, the Great Danes converted, as Sussman connected with Harris again, giving UAlbany a 22-16 lead.

 Down the wire, the Danes’ defense held tough despite Buffalo’s threatening advances. Working their way down to the 7-yard line on fourth down, Jackson darted to the pylon, but UAlbany’s Mason Gray knocked the ball loose for a game-saving fumble. With the touchback, UAlbany regained control of the ball with 3:52 remaining. “I think Mason Gray was outstanding,” said Gattuso. “Our coaches teach it every single day of the week -- in practice we are stripping and attacking the ball at all times.”

 Buffalo earned another opportunity after forcing the Danes to punt with 2:44 remaining. But again, UAlbany’s stealthy defense made the stop, as Kyle Sakowski picked off the first pass of the drive. From there, the Great Danes ran out the clock, clinching the historic first win. Up next, UAlbany (1-0) opens CAA play, traveling to take on Rhode Island on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. Purchase your UAlbany football tickets today by visiting ualbanysports.com/tickets.

WILLIAMS GOLDEN GOAL SENDS UALBANY WOMEN’S SOCCER BACK TO WIN COLUMN WITH 2-1 VICTORY VS. URI

UAlbany Sports Information

 ALBANY, N.Y. – Mariah Williams scored the golden goal in the 92nd minute off Caroline Kopp’s corner kick to give the UAlbany women’s soccer team a 2-1 victory over Rhode Island in the season home opener.

 UAlbany (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with its overtime win over Rhode Island (0-2-2) in a physical, high shooting game. UAlbany outshot URI 21-18 in the game plus had 10 corner kicks to its opposition’s eight.