UAlbany's Thompson Trio Named to 2014 Tewaaraton Watch List

NEW YORK CITY – UAlbany attackmen Lyle Thompson, Miles Thompson and Ty Thompson were all named to the 2014 Tewaaraton Watch List, announced by the Tewaaraton Foundation on Wednesday night. All three earn a place on the Tewaaraton Watch List for the second consecutive season. Lyle and Ty Thompson earned a nomination for the award last season, with Lyle Thompson being named one of five Tewaaraton finalists. The three Thompsons represent three of the four America East players on the Tewaaraton Watch List, with UMBC’s Nate Lewnes being the fourth. Lyle Thompson, a junior attackman, led the NCAA in points per game last season, finishing with 113 total points off 50 goals and 63 assists to earn First Team All-America honors. This season, he is leading the NCAA with six points a game in his first two contests, scoring two goals and 10 assists thus far, adding seven ground balls. Ty Thompson, earning his senior season, earned All-America honors in 2013 after leading the Great Danes with 54 goals, including 12 in man-up situations. So far in 2014, he leads UAlbany with six goals, scoring five against Syracuse, adding five ground balls. Also a senior attackman, Miles Thompson earned 73 points last year, despite missing six games due to injury, on 43 goals and 30 assists to earn All-America status. Including a six-point performance against Drexel, he stands with five goals and four assists. The nomination list of 25 will be made on April 24th, with the five finalists being chosen on May 8th and the Tewaaraton Trophy winner being selected on May 29th in Washington, D.C.

UAlbany Women’s Track Defends Conference Title

NEW YORK – The University at Albany women’s indoor track team finds itself in the same position it was one year ago as America East champions. Today’s victory sealed a successful defense of their title, and represented not only a consecutive championship, but a fourth team victory in the last five years. The women scored 198.50 points in the team competition, distancing themselves from runner-up Binghamton, which scored 125.83 points. Vermont finished third, scoring 109.33 points. The women were tied with Vermont at the conclusion of the first day of competition, with each team accumulating 45 points. But in day two, UAlbany gapped the field, ultimately claiming a decisive victory. Samantha Kosa kicked off proceedings for the women Monday morning, placing second in the shot put with a throw of 45’-2.25”. She was immediately followed by Janice Johnson in third place, with a throw of 43’-6”. Veleisha Walker placed fifth in the event, throwing 41’-4.25”. Kathryn Fanning placed third in the mile with a time of 4:50.73, after running a 4:47 1600 leg of the distance medley relay the night before. Michelle Anthony backed up her first place qualifying mark by winning the 60 hurdles in 8.64. Tynelle Taylor-Chase placed third in 8.76, and CiCi Simon placed fifth in 8.94. Taylor-Chase followed her hurdles result with a second place finish in the 500, running 1:13.09. Dominique Claudio followed in fifth with a time of 1:14.87. In the 400 finals, Aderinsola Ajala and Kamilah Williams placed second and third, running 56.59 and 58.02 respectively. Ajala finished just behind champion Alexis Kitsakos from UMass Lowell, who finished with a time of 56.56. Jillian Haynes and Kahlia Taylor went 3-4 in the 60, running 7.66 and 7.68 respectively. Ashlee Maduro placed seventh with a 7.84. Brianne Bellon placed third in the 800 with a 2:13.01. Breanna Cummings placed sixth with a 2:17.82, and Mackenzie Carter placed eighth in 2:20.75. Fanning, in her third event of the meet, placed second in the 1,000, running 2:52.88. In the 200, UAlbany placed runners 4-6 and eighth. Haynes led the way in fourth with a 24.67. Taylor placed fifth in 24.69. Anthony placed sixth in 24.88. And Aiyanna James rounded out the group in eighth with a time of 25.38. Silvia Del Fava, already a winner in last night’s 5,000 in dominating fashion, again claimed victory in the 3,000 in 9:40.20. She defeated second place by over 11 seconds. Valentina Talevi, sharing the same double as Del Fava, placed fifth in 10:00.08. Solène Bastien placed third in the triple jump with a mark of 38’-8.75”, and Pony Sokiri placed eighth with a jump of 37’-9.25”. In the high jump, Min Pacella tied for fifth with a fellow freshman in Binghamton’s Jackie Crunden. Both athletes jumped 5’-5.25”. UAlbany’s Rochelle Reid and Ashley Grant tied for seventh, jumping 5’-3.75”. UAlbany’s 4x800 placed fifth, with the team of Carter, Claudio, Cummings, and Bellon running 9:26.65. The Danes capped off their championship effort with a second place finish in the 4x400. The team of Ajala, Maduro, Williams, and Taylor-Chase finished just behind conference newcomer UMass Lowell, running a time of 3:48.61. At the conclusion of the meet, UAlbany had claimed victory in four events, two of which came from Del Fava. They shared in victory with the men’s team, which won their ninth consecutive title, also defeating Binghamton by a team score of 219 to 139.20. Individual awards will be announced at a later date following a coaches’ vote. Two weeks from now, those with qualifying marks will travel to Boston University to compete at ECAC Championships.

UAlbany Men’s Track Takes Ninth Consecutive Conference Title

NEW YORK – For the ninth consecutive year, and the 11th out of the last 12, the University at Albany men’s indoor track program claimed victory at the America East Indoor Championships. The men scored 219 points in the team competition, handily defeating runner-up Binghamton, which scored 139.20 points. Maine narrowly took third with 116.40 points. Following a successful first day in which they held an eight point lead, the Danes picked up right where they left off. In the first track final of the second day of competition, John DeLallo placed second in the mile in 4:11.20. Dylan Lowry placed seventh in 4:16.52. Taariq Jones successfully defended his title in the 400, running a winning time of 48.60. Jason Tomlinson finished fourth in 49.14, and Jeremiah Obeng-Agyapong finished seventh in 50.03. All three UAlbany scorers are sophomores, although the finals field included only one senior. Alfonso Scannapieco was UAlbany’s lone representative in the 60 hurdles finals. He placed eighth with a time of 8.63. Larry Ramirez placed third in the 500 in 1:04.38. Kareem Morris won the 60 in 6.91. He was followed by Robert Harris III in third in 6.96, Donald Williams in fifth in 7.03, and Jaymen Teemer in sixth in 7.04. Andrew Pirnie placed third in the 800 in 1:53.23. Zachary Cook and DeLallo went 2-3 in the 1,000, running 2:28.14 and 2:28.35 respectively. Lowry, doubling back from the mile with DeLallo, placed sixth in 2:29.86. UAlbany qualified five athletes to the finals of the 200, which fielded only nine competitors. Morris placed second in 21.80. Teemer was third in 22.05. Jones, returning from his victory in the 400, placed fourth in 22.31. Harris III placed fifth in 22.41. Finally, Williams placed eighth in 22.77. Nicholas Mattera placed sixth in the heptathlon with 4523 points. Abel Gilet placed seventh in the shot put with a mark of 47’-8.5”. Two UAlbany athletes scored in the triple jump. Christopher Stephenson finished fourth, jumping 46’-4”, and Matthew Campbell placed seventh with a jump of 44’-2.75”. The Danes dominated the high jump competition, with each of the three participants placing in the top three. Alexander Bowen won the event, defending his title from last year with a jump of 7’-1”. Campbell placed second with a jump of 6’-10.75”. Kingsley Ogbonna finished third with a mark of 6’-8.25”. The highest finishing competitor, Aaron Tenny from Vermont, jumped two inches shorter than Ogbonna. The 4x800 team of Lowry, Ramirez, Pirnie, and Youness Benzaid placed first with a time of 7:37.93, defeating runner-up New Hampshire by nearly two seconds. Benzaid, as he has in each of his last three 4x800s, split 1:50 to cap off a weekend that began with a 4:09 split in the distance medley relay Sunday night. UAlbany closed the meet with a victory in the 4x400. The team of Obeng-Agyapong, Ryan Small, Jones, and Tomlinson ran 3:16.27, narrowly defeating second-place Maine, which ran 3:16.90. Tomlinson ran his fastest split ever at 47.9. At the conclusion of the meet, the Danes had accumulated victories in seven events. They shared in victory with the women’s team, which won their second consecutive title, also defeating Binghamton by a team score of 198.50 to 125.83. Individual awards will be announced at a later date following a coaches’ vote. Two weeks from now, those with qualifying marks will travel to Boston University to compete at IC4A Championships.

UAlbany's Roberto Vives To Receive Irv Mondschein Coaching Award

EW YORK – The University at Albany men’s and women’s indoor track teams are spending Friday and Saturday competing at the Armory in New York City at one of the biggest meets of the year, the Armory Collegiate Invitational. While they are down there, UAlbany Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Roberto Vives will be presented with the Irv Mondschein Coaching award during the opening ceremonies at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 8. Since its inaugural presentation in 2002, others who have won this award include Villanova’s Macrus O’Sullivan and Gina Procaccio (2013), Wisconsin’s Mick Byrne (2012), Georgetown’s Frank Gagliano (2009), Ohio State’s Russ Rogers (2006), and Irv Mondschein himself (2004). Both days of competition, including the opening ceremony and presentation of the Mondschein Award, can be streamed live via runnerspace.com. From the Collegiate Invitational program: “Roberto Vives, the head track coach at Albany for three decades, is the winner of this year’s Irv Mondschein Coaching Award. Vives has won nearly 50 conference team championships – men and women, indoors/outdoors and cross country – in his extraordinary career for the Great Danes. Raised in the Bronx, of Puerto Rican heritage, Vives wasted little time discovering his calling as a coach. A star hurdler at Cardinal Hayes High School, he also began helping on the coaching side by his senior season. After graduating from Seton Hall, where he competed in the hurdles and the decathlon, Vives began his formal coaching career back at Cardinal Hayes. He later coached at the Bronx High School of Science, CCNY, and Lehman College before settling in at Albany, where he has been since 1985.”

Bullard, Carey, Hoagboon, Nethaway Named 2014 UAlbany Baseball Captains

Bullard, Carey, Hoagboon, Nethaway Named 2014 Baseball Captains

UAlbany's Women’s Tennis Knocks Off Local Rival Siena on Sunday

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany women’s tennis team (2-2) picked up its second win of the spring season, 4-3 over Siena on Sunday. The Great Danes also fell 7-0 at Boston College on Saturday.

UAlbany's Craig Scores 22, Richards Sets UAlbany Single Season Scoring Record in 69-52 Win over Vermont

ALBANY, N.Y. - Powered by 38 points in the paint, UAlbany WBB, led by 22 points from Megan Craig, kicked off the Big Purple Growl with a 69-52 victory over Vermont on Saturday night. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany's Shereesha Richards Gets America East Co-Player of the Week for Ninth League Honor

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the ninth time this season and third week in a row, Shereesha Richards has earned a conference weekly honor, being named America East Co-Player of the Week. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany's Lyle Thompson Earns IL Preseason Player of the Year, Thompsons Grace Inside Lacrosse Cover

BALTIMORE – Lyle Thompson has been selected as the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Division I Player of the Year, the publication released on Friday. In addition, the three Thompsons, Lyle, Miles and Ty, are on the cover of the February issue of Inside Lacrosse, currently available digitally and soon to be in newsstands. Lyle Thompson, who was also chosen as the Lacrosse Magazine DI Preseason Player of the Year, was one of five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy and enters his junior season after leading the NCAA with 113 points last year, including 50 goals and 63 assists. The 2013 America East Player of the Year has racked up 151 points in his career thus far. In the Inside Lacrosse issue, the publication talks to players, UAlbany head coach Scott Marr and others about the Thompsons’ play. Combined, the three scored 254 points last season, including 147 goals and 107 assists. All three earned All-America status and return for the 2014 season. The issue is available for purchase digitally on Inside Lacrosse’s website, with the print edition coming out next week.

UAlbany's Miles and Ty Thompson Selected by Rochester Rattlers in 2014 MLL Draft

PHILADELPHIA – Miles and Ty Thompson will stay local this summer, being picked by the Rochester Rattlers in the 2014 Major League Lacrosse Entry Draft on Friday. Miles Thompson was selected in the third round and 20th overall by Rochester, then Ty Thompson was drafted in the fourth round and 28th overall by the Rattlers. The Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Draft sees current collegiate seniors get drafted by teams. Once the players conclude their senior season, they may join the team that drafted them for the 2014 season. The two are the first Great Danes drafted into the MLL since Joe Resetarits, who was a 5th round selection by the Hamilton Nationals in 2012. They are the 12th and 13th Great Danes to be drafted into the MLL, joining Joe Resetarits, Frank Resetarits (2007), Liam Gleason (2007), Mike Amman (2008), Steve Amman (2008), Jordan Levine (2008), Brett Queener (2008), Chris Schongar (2009), Corey Small (2009), Dave Brock (2010) and Brian Caufield (2011). Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany's Richards Sets New Single Game Program Record with 41 Points in 94-49 Win at Vermont

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Shereesha Richards dominated in the paint on Thursday night, scoring 41 points off 17-24 shooting to set a new single game program record, leading UAlbany to a 94-49 victory at Vermont to open America East play. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany Men’s Lacrosse Ranked #10 in Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20

BALTIMORE – The Great Danes are ranked #10 in Lacrosse Magazine’s Preseason Top 20, released by the publication on Monday. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany's Thompson Trio Named Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Preseason All-Americans

BALTIMORE – University at Albany attack trio Lyle Thompson, Miles Thompson and Ty Thompson were named DI Preseason All-Americans, Inside Lacrosse has announced. Lyle Thompson was placed on the All-America First Team, while Miles Thompson got All-America Third Team and Ty Thompson received All-America Honorable Mention. Courtesy: UA Sports

CAA Football: Greg Gattuso Named UAlbany Head Football Coach

ALBANY, N.Y. – Greg Gattuso, a former head coach at Duquesne University and assistant head coach at both Pittsburgh and Maryland, has been named the University at Albany’s head football coach. The 51-year-old Gattuso becomes the second football coach in the program’s 41-varsity season history, taking the reins from program architect Bob Ford. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany's Heuser and McConville Named to Longstreth/NFHCA All-America Team

ALBANY, N.Y. – The National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced Monday morning that UAlbany’s Paula Heuser and Corrine McConville were named All-Americans following the 2013 season. Heuser was selected for the second team, while McConville earned her second All-America honor on the third team. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany CAA Football: Osbourne, Dorsey, And Smith Earn All-CAA Honors

RICHMOND, Va. – In the program’s inaugural season competing in the Colonial Athletic Association, junior running back Omar Osbourne headlined the University at Albany football team’s postseason accolades, earning first team All-CAA honors. In addition, junior linebacker Christian Dorsey and senior defensive lineman Andrew Smith were named to the CAA’s third team. Courtesy: UA Sports

UAlbany Women’s Basketball Improves to 4-0 After 71-49 Win Over Cal State Fullerton

ALBANY, N.Y. - Another career-night for Shereesha Richards, who earned 22 points and six boards, led UAlbany to a 71-49 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday night, improving the Great Danes to 4-0 to start the year. Courtesy: UA Sports

Second Half Surge Sends UAlbany to 69-59 Win over Local Powerhouse Marist

ALBANY, N.Y. - In a matchup of the two-best mid-major teams in the Empire State, UAlbany came back from down at halftime to defeat Marist 69-59 at the SEFCU Arena on Thursday night. Courtesy: UA Sports

Richards 25 Points Leads UAlbany to Home Opening 77-61 Win over Western Michigan

ALBANY, N.Y. – A 25-point career day for Shereesha Richards led UAlbany to a 77-61 victory over Western Michigan in the home opener on Sunday. Courtesy: UA SPorts

Top Offensive Output since ‘08 Leads UAlbany to 5-1 Win Over Vermont to Advance to AE Semis

 

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The best team offensive output since 2008 saw 5-seed UAlbany score five consecutive goals, leading to a 5-1 victory at 4-seed Vermont to advance the Great Danes into the America East semifinals.

“We are thrilled to have had one of our best performances in such an important game,” says coach Trevor Gorman.  “We showed great composure in the attacking third, had good chances and executed well against a Vermont team that has had a very good season.”

The Great Danes (6-10-4) return to Baltimore to take on 1-seed UMBC in the America East semifinal round on Wednesday.

“We are looking forward to going back to Baltimore and playing a strong UMBC team again,” says Gorman.
It is the first time since October 18, 2008, a 5-2 home victory over UMBC, that UAlbany has scored five goals in a game.  It is also the first five-goal contest on the road since September 28^th of that year, a 5-1 victory at Marist.

In goal, Michael Pizzuti saved the first shot of the contest from Vermont’s (9-5-4) Mike Clayton on a dive to the left corner in the third minute.

In minute seven, UAlbany earned a breakaway attempt.  Pomare Te Anau went down the center, passing the ball to Anthony Rozzano on the outside.  Going into the goal box, Rozzano found a returning Te Anau, who kicked the ball into the right side of the net for his first goal of the year, putting UAlbany up 1-0.

Later in the closing seconds of the 17^th minute, Jonathan Interiano hit a hard shot to the left side, which was knocked away for a corner.  After Thomas Manz kicked it to Bernardo Mattos, a pass to Dominic McGarr outside the goal box was headed into the right part of the cage.  UAlbany pushed to a 2-0 lead on McCarr’s second goal of the season.

Te Anau nearly got his second goal in the next minute, getting away from a defender at the top of the penalty box.  A hard shot on the ground ground was saved by a diving Conor Leland.

On a free kick attempt in the 25^th minute, Daniel Kuczynski jumped a headed a free kick pass near the goal box.  A jumping Puzzuti punched the ball away, keeping the two-goal lead intact.

Vermont got a corner kick in the 33^rd minute.  After a deflection, Brian Wright headed the ball high above the crossbar, ending the threat.  UAlbany counterattacked in the next minute and got a corner, but Manz headed the ball to the right of the post.

In the closing minutes of the half, Philip Persson drew away all defenders on a free kick into the box.  Manz headed the ball over a charging Leland, placing his target into the right side of the box in 41^st minute, putting UAlbany up 3-0.  Manz pocketed his third goal of the year.

UAlbany protected against a couple of corners in the half’s final minute, not allowing a shot.  The Great Danes went into halftime with its largest lead of the season, up 3-0 on Vermont.

The 49^th minute saw Vermont get the first opportunity of the second half.  Bernard Yeboah got a pass just ahead of the UAlbany back line.  Yeboah shot was saved by a falling Pizzuti near the top of the box.

Just into the 54^th minute, Brandon Wilson charged down the left side of the field, kicking it to Te Anau wide open on the upper left corner of the penalty box.  Te Anau kicked it just inside the right post past a diving keeper for his second goal of the day, putting UAlbany up 4-0.

Shortly after, UAlbany almost got a fifth goal after a Te Anau free kick found Wilson behind the back line.  Wilson kicked the ball into the net, but an offsides call prevented the score.

In the 60^th minute, Te Anau took a free kick just outside the penalty box.  His kick was headed inadvertently by Clayton into the net for a Vermont own goal, giving UAlbany a 5-0 advantage.

UAlbany stayed aggressive, seeing Te Anau set up Leonardo Rodrigues on a cross.  The cross went past the keeper, but the shot just missed left of the post.

With about 21 minutes remaining, Beau Johnson received a ground pass from Wright next to the keeper.  Johnson turned, got around the keeper and scored for Vermont’s first goal, making it 5-1 UAlbany.
At minute 79, UAlbany pushed and got Martin Gorrie with the ball on the left side.  Gorrie crossed and found Denara straight away, but the header went right.

Te Anau nearly got a hat trick, kicking a bouncing ball toward the right post, missing wide with two minutes left.  Neither side got an opportunity for the remainder of the game as UAlbany earned the 5-1 victory.
Pizzuti finished with eight saves in his third victory of the season.  Te Anau got two goals, while Manz concluded with a goal and an assist.

University of Albany's Hooley and Rowley Score 17 Points Each to Stunt Siena 74-62 and Take Home Albany Cup

 

ALBANY, N.Y. - After wiping off the dust in the first half, University at Albany men’s basketball (1-0) brought home the Albany Cup for the second consecutive year. It was the first come-from-behind victory in the series under Will Brown for the Great Danes.

“It’s a great win for our school,” said Sam Rowley. “It’s a fantastic way to start.”

Siena got out to a 7-0 lead early before DJ Evans scored the first Great Dane basket of the 2013-14 season. At the first media timeout at the 15:55 mark, the Saints were 5-for-6 from the field, while the Purple & Gold was just 2-for-6.
UAlbany proved to have the early advantage with the whistle, putting Siena’s Marquis Wright in early foul trouble with two fouls just nine minutes into the game. Wright’s foul put Siena over the limit with more than 11 minutes left in the first half.

The Saints held a double-digit lead for four minutes late in the half before UAlbany began showing signs of life to close the opening period. Levan Shengelia spun past his defender for a dunk with 3:30 left to narrow the lead to eight. Shengelia found Evans on the ensuing position for a three-pointer to make the score 37-30. Anders Haas hit one-of-two free throws to close the half.

At the break, Evans and Haas led UAlbany with six points apiece.

In what was truly a tale of two halves, Sam Rowley scored as many points as he did in the first half in the first two minutes of the second. The junior captain went 5-for-6 in the second half and 3-for-3 in the opening four minutes. With starting center John Puk picking up his fourth foul less than four minutes into the second half, Rowley didn’t let the momentum swing back to the Saints. The forward grabbed an offensive rebound for the put-back to narrow the margin to just one point.

Two free throws from Peter Hooley with 15:27 remaining gave UAlbany its first lead of the game.
The Great Danes used an 11-0 run to get out to a 55-44 lead with just over 10 minutes left. The Saints surged back, holding UAlbany scoreless for nearly four minutes late in the half after throwing a 2-3 zone at the Great Danes.
A technical on the Siena bench gave UAlbany the opportunity to win back the momentum. After Hooley hit the two technical free throws with ease, he hit a three with just under six minutes left to wipe away Siena’s temporary one-point lead. The Great Danes did not relinquish the lead again, forcing Siena into poor shots down the stretch. Siena shot just 27.8% from the field in the second half.

Free throw shooting led UAlbany through the second half, with Hooley going 8-for-8 and Evans hitting 6-of-6. UAlbany went 20-for-24 from the charity stripe in the second half, while Siena shot just 5-of-10. Siena also went 0-for-16 from behind the arch in the second half.

“The change of competitiveness is what did it for us,” said Hooley. “We knew our first half wasn’t UAlbany basketball, and we just weathered that storm. In the second half we knew we would play better, and we did.”

Hooley and Rowley finished with 17 points apiece. Rowley nearly notched a double-double with nine rebounds to his credit. Evans also recorded five steals, a new individual record for UAlbany against Siena under Will Brown.

“In the end, we played the way we were capable of playing,” said head coach Will Brown. “It helps to have some older guys, and I knew their freshmen would come out and play with a ton of energy. I thought we were playing our tempo and imposing our will in the second half, we opened it up.”

The Great Danes will face NJIT in their home opener on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel from SEFCU Arena.

University of Albany Women’s Hoops Captures Fourth Straight Albany Cup With 69-42 Victory Over Siena

ALBANY, N.Y. – Opening the season with a furious scoring pace, the University at Albany women’s basketball team jumped out to 13-0 lead Friday night at the Times Union Center and never looked back, overcoming cross-city rival Siena, 69-42. The victory captured the Great Danes’ fourth straight Albany Cup and bragging rights for another year.

Junior Sarah Royals matched her career-best with a game-high 21 points, and also career-marks with six rebounds and four steals, adding six assists. Classmate Margarita Rosario also had a career night, scoring 14 points. The reigning America East Rookie of the Year, Shereesha Richards opened the season with a double-double, logging 13 points and 12 rebounds, while also notching four steals.

In addition, senior Tammy Phillip matched her career-high with 10 boards, as the Great Danes outrebounded the Saints, 48-30.  Megan Craig also earned a career-high with four blocks, adding five points.

Coming off a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, the Great Danes opened the season in top form with a sweltering 58.6 percent field goal percentage in the first half, as well as hitting 6-of-8 shots from behind the arc.

Royals knocked down two and Rosario hit another to give the Great Danes a 13-0 head start at the 12:53 mark. Not only was UAlbany’s offense lighting it up, but the defensive effort suffocated the Saints to a 17.2 field goal percentage (5-29) in the opening stanza. Siena did not record a field goal until the 7:52 mark, as Tehresa Coles’ layup made the score 20-5.

Picking up the intensity in the final five minutes of the first half, the Great Danes used a 17-2 run, capped by another Royals three, to take a 30-point lead, 43-13 with 1:17 remaining. Siena made the final basket of the half with 34 seconds on the clock, as Emia Willingham touched one off the glass. However, UAlbany still went into the break with a commanding 43-15 lead.

Out of the locker room, Richards scored UAlbany’s first six points with two field goals and two free throws, giving the Great Danes a 32-point lead (49-17) -- their largest advantage of the game – with 17:41 remaining.
With Brianna Logan’s layup, Siena cut the margin to 22, 53-31, with 11:19 on the clock, but that would be as close as the Saints would get. UAlbany built their lead back up to as much as 28, 66-38, led by a trio of Rosario baskets and Royals’ pair of free throws with 3:18 remaining, and the Great Danes held onto their comfortable advantage through the remainder of regulation.

In the game, UAlbany held Siena to a 26.2 field goal percentage (16-61), as well as a 4.8 percentage (1-21) from three. Leading the Saints, Meghan Donahue and Coles both reached double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Up next, UAlbany hosts Western Michigan Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at SEFCU Arena for its home opener.

University of Albany's Mariano Scores Game-Winner to Lead No. 16 Field Hockey Past Maine 1-0 in America East Semifinal

 

 

DURHAM, N.H. – University at Albany field hockey (16-4) will return to the America East final on Saturday to face No. 1 seed New Hampshire. The Great Danes downed Maine 1-0 in the semifinal on Thursday night. Freshman Molly Mariano scored the game-winner in the 56th minute.
“It feels really good to be here for my first America East tournament,” said Mariano. “I couldn’t have scored that goal without my teammates. It was a great pass from Daphne, and I’m excited to play New Hampshire in the final on Saturday.”


The Purple & Gold will face the Wildcats in the final for the second consecutive year at Memorial field.
To start the first half in the 30th minute, Corrine McConville fired a pass down the field to Daphne Voormolen. Voormolen deflected the pass towards the goal and her shot sailed high.

The Great Danes put the pressure on the Maine back line early in the first half, earning three penalty corners in the first 10 minutes. Voormolen had a shot blocked on a penalty corner insertion by Fiori Van Rijswijk for her second shot of the game.

America East Midfielder and Rookie of the Year Paula Heuser had UAlbany’s first good look at the Maine cage in the 20th minute. The freshman lined up on a penalty corner for a shot that required a diving save from the Black Bear keeper.

Maine called timeout with 19 minutes left in the first half, after the Great Danes dominated possession for the first 15 minutes and took four penalty corners. UAlbany entered halftime with a 6-0 penalty corner advantage.
Echo Bretz had a good look at the goal to start the second half. The junior snuck behind the Maine defense, but her attempt was thwarted by the Maine keeper.

Heuser maneuvered around the Maine defense on UAlbany’s seventh penalty corner of the game, but couldn’t find anyone across the circle for the pass with 20 minutes left.

The freshman midfielder didn’t let up in the 57th minute, firing a shot that hit the crossbar. Voormolen took a shot moments later that required a defensive save by the Black Bears to keep from crossing the goal line.
Freshman Molly Mariano knocked in a pass across the circle from Voormolen in the 56th minute to give the Great Danes the 1-0 lead. The goal was Mariano’s sixth of the season.

After Maine nearly evened the score with seven minutes left, Phil Sykes called timeout to regroup.
The Black Bears pulled their goalie with four minutes left in an attempt to send all 11 players forward to even the score. The Great Danes held strong on the back line.

“I think sometimes you feel like there’s a force field on the goal,” said head coach Phil Sykes. “We had some good looks without results. It got a little bit scary there. We’ve been focusing on trying to be strong in front of the goal, and Molly’s position there really paid off for us. New Hampshire kind of took it to us in the regular season, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on Saturday.”

UAlbany will face New Hampshire on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live from Memorial Field on America East.tv.

University of Albany's Heuser Becomes Program’s All-Time Single Season Rookie Scoring Leader in 5-1 Win Against UMass Lowell

 

LOWELL, MASS.-  Freshman midfielder Paula Heuser became the UAlbany field hockey program’s all-time single-season leader in scoring amongst rookies in the team’s final regular season game of the year. The No. 15 Great Danes downed UMass Lowell 5-1.

Heuser scored two goals in the victory, passing current assistant coach Michelle Simpson on the rookie scoring leaderboard. The freshman has now scored 16 goals this season to lead the team in goals and points with 42.

Liza Morgan opened scoring for the Great Danes in the 21st minute. Heuser collected a rebound and found Morgan for the goal. Morgan scored her 10th goal of the season to become the third Great Dane with 10 or more goals in 2013.

The Purple & Gold struck again in the 30th minute on a penalty corner. Heuser smacked in an insertion from Fiori Van Rijswijk for her first goal of the match. Van Rijswijk’s assist was her ninth of the season to rank her tied for second on the team. Heuser nearly scored her second goal from Van Rijswijk to close the half, but the River Hawks made a defensive save on the attempt.

UAlbany continued to pound the UMass Lowell cage in the second period. Kelly Bonner and Daphne Voormolen both took shots early in the half, with the River Hawks making defensive saves to keep the game close.

Molly Mariano widened the gap for the Great Danes in the 54th minute, scoring unassisted to make the score 3-0.

Heuser struck again one minute later unassisted. The freshman streaked through the circle to beat the UMass Lowell goalkeeper and find the back of the cage.

Voormolen scored the final goal for the Great Danes, beating the UMass Lowell goalkeeper one-on-one for the tally.

“We had a good game today,” said head coach Phil Sykes. “UMass Lowell started off playing well, and they really took it to us in the first half. I’m proud of the team for going 15-4 in the regular season, and we’re looking forward to the America East Tournament next week.”

The Great Danes posted their best regular season program record in the Division I ranks at 15-4. UAlbany will enter the America East Tournament as the No. 2 seed for the second consecutive year, facing No. 3 seed Maine. The seeding for the tournament, set to kick off in Durham, N.H., on Thursday at 2 p.m., is identical to last year’s America East field. New Hampshire is the No. 1 seed, with Maine falling into the No. 3 spot and Fairfield competing in the No. 4 slot. UAlbany won last year’s America East tournament in Durham.

University of Albany's Miles Thompson’s 14-Point Performance Earns Inside Lacrosse Laxie

 

BALTIMORE – The fans have spoken, choosing Miles Thompson’s 14-point game against Stony Brook last season for the “Individual Game Performance of the Year” Laxie.
The Laxie Awards, run by Inside Lacrosse magazine, are voted on by fans online each year.  The Laxies include a wide-array of categories, including player and team performance, coaches and off-the-field.  The Laxie Awards are in their sixth year.
On April 27, 2013, UAlbany attack Miles Thompson had a historic game against Stony Brook, combining for 14 points, earning at least three points in each quarter, in a 21-12 victory over the Seawolves to complete an undefeated conference season.  Thompson finished with five goals and nine assists in the game.
His performance earned 42 percent of the vote for Individual Game Performance of the Year for the Laxie, beating out Duke’s Brendan Fowler’s 20-28 face-offs against Syracuse, which got 30%.
In addition, Lyle Thompson nearly earned a couple of Laxies as well.  Lyle finished second in the Laxies for Inside Lacrosse Player of the Year and Division I Men’s Player of the Year with 23.3% and 30.1% of the vote respectively.  Cornell’s Rob Pannell got each one with 35.7% and 34.7% of voting respectively.

University of Albany Field Hockey Comes in at No. 12 in Latest NFHCA Poll for Third Consecutive Week

 

ALBANY, N.Y.- The University at Albany field hockey team (12-2, 2-0 AE) maintained its No. 12 ranking this week in the latest NFHCA poll. The Great Danes beat Vermont 8-0 and Columbia 6-0 last week. 

UAlbany is the top team in the nation in five statistical categories. The Great Danes lead all Division I teams including assists per game (3.43), scoring margin (3.79), goals against average (0.79), shutouts per game (0.50) and points per game (12.57). Phil Sykes’s squad is also ranked second in scoring average (4.57).
The Great Danes face New Hampshire at Alumni Field on Friday at 3 p.m.

University of Albany Football's Eric LaPorta Named Semifinalist For NFF Campbell Trophy

DALLAS – Eric LaPorta, a senior center on the University at Albany football team, has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, announced by the National Football Foundation Wednesday. LaPorta is one of 170 candidates vying for the award honoring the nation’s top scholar-athlete. 

LaPorta, a native of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., is a three-year starter for the Great Danes and 2013 team captain. After beginning his career as a walk-on, LaPorta was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Football Team and helped UAlbany win back-to-back Northeast Conference titles.

As a dual major in criminal justice and history, LaPorta graduated magna cum laude with a 3.57 cumulative grade point average and is currently enrolled in UAlbany’s Master of Science In Secondary Education program for social studies with a 3.65 GPA.

LaPorta is one of three athletes from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the semifinalist stage.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

“The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools on this tremendous honor,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, which show that football players can balance between academics and athletics at the highest level. There is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from among this esteemed group.”

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, October 31. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2013 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored Dec. 10 during the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program’s all-time distributions to more than $10.4 million.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program’s mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks

America East to Feature Four Men's Basketball Games on ESPN3 in 2013-14

 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.- The America East Conference announced Tuesday that defending league champion UAlbany will be featured on ESPN3 four times in the 2013-14 conference regular season.
Will Brown’s squad will appear on the ESPN family of networks against Vermont at SEFCU Arena on Feb. 1, at UMBC on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., against Maine at SEFCU Arena on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m., and at Binghamton on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The league championship, hosted by the highest-remaining seed, will also be broadcast on ESPN2.
“The partnership with ESPN is exciting for our conference and program,” said Brown.  “We look forward to making four America East appearances on ESPN this upcoming season.  Hopefully the partnership continues to grow and develop as we move forward as a conference.”
UAlbany’s four America East ESPN3 appearances ranks them third in the league in number of showings, behind Stony Brook and Vermont who will both appear five times. The Great Danes could make another appearance on March 2 in the wildcard slot when they play at Stony Brook.
In addition to their appearances on the league schedule, the Great Danes can also be seen on ESPN3 at Pittsburgh on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m., from the Petersen Events Center.
In the largest T.V., package ever for the league, all ESPN3 games can also be seen on the WatchESPN app, which is accessible through smartphones, tablets as well as Xbox LIVE and Apple TV.
The Great Danes host NJIT in their first home game on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Men’s basketball season and individual tickets are now on sale

The UAlbany men’s basketball team opens the 2013-14 season against cross-town rival Siena at the Times Union Center on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

University of Albany Men’s Basketball Names Devlin, Hooley, Rowley and Wiegmann Captains for 2013-14 Season

ALBANY, N.Y.- University at Albany men’s basketball coach Will Brown announced Monday that seniors Luke Devlin and Dave Wiegmann, junior Sam Rowley and sophomore Peter Hooley will serve as team captains for the 2013-14 season. “We are excited to name Luke, David, Sam, and Peter captains for the 2013-14 season,” said head coach Will Brown. “We as a staff value the input of our team when choosing captains and these were the four names that continued to be mentioned by each player in our program.  All four are high-character kids who work very hard on the court and in the classroom.  We are confident that all four will be effective captains and lead this team on and off the court.  Being a captain is a challenge and comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility.  We are looking forward to helping them grow and develop as leaders throughout the season.” UAlbany returns eight players from last year’s 2013 America East Championship squad. The Great Danes welcome seven newcomers for 2013-14 and return three starters. Devlin, a three-time captain has played in 98 games in his career with 60 starts. The senior is averaging 5.4 points and 4.4 rebounds for his career, and also shot .750 from the charity stripe in 2012-13. Hooley averaged 10.2 points per game as a starter in 11 games in 2012-13. An America East All-Rookie honoree, Hooley averaged 9.0 points per game and 3.7 assists per game in league play last season. Hooley led the team as a freshman with 102 assists (3.1 apg). The sophomore recorded his first career double-double at Hartford on Jan. 19, scoring 18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Hooley also leads all returners with a career free-throw percentage of .817. Rowley proved to be an integral piece of UAlbany’s America East campaign last season, averaging 11.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in league play. The junior notched his first career double-double against Binghamton on Jan. 7 with 21 points and 13 rebounds along with four assists. He followed up his career night against the Bearcats with another double-double performance against Maine on Jan. 12 with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Rowley is the squad’s leading returning scorer and rebounder, having averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2012-13. Wiegmann, a transfer from Southwestern Illinois Junior College, saw his first action as a Great Dane last season. He played in 17 games, recording three rebounds against South Carolina State on Nov. 20. The Great Danes began practice on Saturday, and host NJIT in their first home game on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Men’s basketball season tickets are now on sale, with individual tickets available beginning Oct. 1. The UAlbany men’s basketball team opens the 2013-14 season against cross-town rival Siena at the Times Union Center on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

PBS Documentary Features Members of Thompson Family - UAlbany Sports 2013

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - PBS aired a documentary on September 22nd called "America Reframed" at 8 p.m., featuring the Thompson family.

The movie features the older brothers of UAlbany's Lyle and Miles Thompson, Jeremy and Jerome, and their Native American heritage in the Onondaga Nation as they look to make the Syracuse lacrosse team.  It features the family and culture on their seven-year journey.  Both Lyle and Miles are featured in the movie.

The documentary, based on the movie "The Medicine Game," was produced by Lukas Korver and Jason Halpin.  Check local listings for re-airings