University of Albany's Maureen Keggins Goes For Nine Points in Season-Opening Women’s Lacrosse Win at Quinnipiac - UAlbany sports 2015

HAMDEN, CONN. – In a dominant offensive showing, University at Albany women’s lacrosse (1-0) downed Quinnipiac (0-1) 21-5 in wintry conditions on Saturday afternoon. Senior attack Maureen Keggins led the Danes with five goals and four assists. An unanswered 6-0 rally by UAlbany gave John Battaglino’s squad an early advantage. Keggins got on the board in the first 20 seconds on an assist from freshman Alie Jimerson. The Purple & Gold’s leading returning scorer Rachel Bowles got in on the action for two unassisted goals in one minute, making the score 3-0. Sophomore attack Dakotah Savitcheff scored with just four minutes gone in the first half on another feed from Jimerson. Emily Mizer and Emma Powlin wrapped up the run with their first career goals, both unassisted. After Quinnipiac came back to score twice, Keggins regained offensive control for the Danes by contributing to three of the next four goals. The senior kicked off 10 unanswered goals for the Purple & Gold with an unassisted tally, followed by an assist on Katherine Sweeney’s first goal of 2015. Sweeney scored again from Bowles to make the score 9-2 with 10 minutes left in the first half. Keggins went for goal number three on the day, followed by the game’s only man-up score from Emma Powlin shortly after. Andrea Flood converted on UAlbany’s first free position goal of the day with 1:12 on the clock, and Keggins scored again with just 30 seconds left to put the Danes up 13-2 at the half. Savitcheff, Flood and Keggins didn’t let up at the crease, scoring each of the first three goals of the second half. Five minutes later, Powlin notched another unassisted goal, before Sarah Martin went for two goals with less than 10 minutes to play. Mizer and Powlin wrapped up scoring for the Great Danes, and Quinnipiac managed a last-minute goal to put the final score at 21-5. Eight different UAlbany players scored in the season-opening victory. Keggins became the fourth Division I Great Dane to amass nine points in a single game. The senior helped UAlbany out-shoot Quinnipiac 39-18. Powlin scored four goals in her collegiate debut. On the defensive end, the Purple & Gold held the Bobcats to 0-for-3 in free position shots. UAlbany also proved successful on all 11 of its clears out of the back. In her first career start, Courtney Henderson made five saves between the pipes. Three Danes tallied their first career points, including Emma Powlin, Alie Jimerson and Emily Mizer. Battaglino’s squad makes its John Fallon Field debut on Wednesday, taking the turf against Manhattan at 3:00 p.m.