UA Football Edged By Delaware, 31-28; Fiacchi Throws Career-High Four Touchdowns - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – With 33 seconds remaining on Military Appreciation Day at Bob Ford Field Saturday, redshirt senior quarterback Will Fiacchi connected a 19-yard touchdown pass to true freshman Josh Gontarek, putting the Great Danes within three points, 31-28, in the final minute of play against Delaware. UAlbany’s onside kick attempt appeared to be successful as redshirt sophomore Michael Nicastro recovered, but an illegal blocking penalty negated the play and the visiting Blue Hens held on for the win. With the narrow victory, Delaware improved to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the CAA, while UAlbany dropped to 6-4 on the season and 2-4 in conference play.

“We’re battling; we’re going to continue to battle. That’s who we are,” said Head Coach Greg Gattuso. “I’m proud of these guys the way they easily could have rolled it up, but didn’t. Even last week, we fought our tails off in the fourth quarter.”

Fiacchi led the team offensively with 335 passing yards and four touchdowns, completing 22-of-35 attempts with no interceptions. Gontarek served as his primary receiver, as he accrued a career-high 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches. Redshirt senior tight end Brian Parker also had six receptions, totaling 77 yards, while classmate Cole King logged three catches for 35 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown grab. Making the most of his one reception on the night, redshirt sophomore tight end Nic Ketter recorded a 38-yard touchdown reception.

On the ground, redshirt senior Omar Osbourne recorded 49 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Christian Dorsey led the squad with a career-high 18 tackles (3 solo), followed by senior T.J. Idowu’s 13 (7 solo) and freshman Jamal Robinson’s career-best 10 (5 solo). Junior Kyle Sakowski tacked on nine (6 solo), while redshirt sophomore Christian Harris added eight tackles (3 solo), including a sack for a loss of 19 yards.

A back-and-forth first half, neither team scored in the opening stanza. Delaware made the first mark on the board with 11:33 remaining in the second quarter when the Blue Hens used 12 plays to drive 73 yards. UD running back Jalen Randolph capped the drive with a 1-yard rush to give the Blue Hens a 7-0 lead.

UAlbany answered immediately, as Fiacchi sparked the drive with a 44-yard pass to Parker. Completing 3-of-4 passes in the sequence, Fiacchi also hit Brad Harris for a 16-yarder and then King for another 16-yarder, resulting in a touchdown. Patrick Toole’s point-after tied the score, 7-7, with 9:57 left in the first half.

Halting the Delaware defense with Christian Harris’ 19-yard sack on third down, the Great Danes turned their next possession into another touchdown. Fiacchi again went 3-for-4, connecting a 27-yard pass to Gontarek, a nine yard pass to King, and capped the drive with a 38-yarder that led Ketter down the middle of the field and into the end zone. With 4:32 remaining in the second quarter, UAlbany led, 14-7.

Forcing a three-and-out, UAlbany looked to a take a two-score lead into the break, but Toole’s 50-yard field goal attempt landed short of the uprights with eight seconds on the clock.

Out of the break, Delaware turned its first possession into a touchdown, tying the score, 14-14, with the use of some trickery. Facing fourth-and-goal on the 2-yard line, the Blue Hens lined up for a field goal. However on the snap, holder Eric Enderson reversed and ran the ball into the end zone, as the Danes blitzed hard towards the fake kick.

“You’ve got to credit Delaware,” said Gattuso. “They made plays when they had to make them. The fake field goal was all on me. It was a bad decision on my part. I accept responsibility and ultimately it was the difference in the game.”

On UAlbany’s next possession, the Great Danes looked to punt, facing 4^th-and-1 on the UAlbany-45. However, the snap to Jon Martin sailed high, landing at the UAlbany-16, forcing Martin to chase down the ball. The Blue Hens needed just one play to add a touchdown, as quarterback Trent Hurley connected with Jerel Harrison, giving Delaware the lead for good, 21-14, with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

Starting their next drive at the UAlbany-47, Delaware took a 28-14 advantage with 2:57 left in the third. The Blue Hens used nine plays to travel 47-yards, capping the drive with Wes Hills’ 4-yard run.

However, the Great Danes battled back, marching 79-yards down the field on seven plays, including a 26-yard pass to Harris followed by a drive-ending 29-yard touchdown toss to Gontarek in the back of the end zone. With Toole’s extra point, the Danes trailed 28-21 with 14:55 remaining.

Trying to preserve its lead, Delaware slowed down the pace of the game, chewing up nearly five minutes in the next drive before being forced to punt. The Blue Hens made their next stop on defense and then slowly worked their way down the gridiron again. With 1:34 remaining, Garrett Greenway hit a 31-yard field goal, giving Delaware a 31-21 advantage.

Undeterred, UAlbany quickly got to work, using just 55 seconds to travel 69 yards on four plays. Fiacchi completed a 10-yard pass to Parker, an 18-yarder to Gontarek, and then after a pass interference penalty moved the Danes into the red zone, Fiacchi connected a 19-yard touchdown pass to Gontarek, making it a one-score game, 31-28, with 33 seconds to go.

However, that is when the well-executed onside kick was spoiled by a ruled blocking penalty, and the Blue Hens were able to run the clock out from there, capturing their second straight three-point win over UAlbany.

For Delaware, Hurley finished with 173 passing yards, completing 18-of-24 passes. Randolph led the squad’s running attack with 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Up next, UAlbany travels to take on No. 7 Villanova on Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the American Sports Network.

#14 University of Albany Field Hockey Dominates UNH 5-0 to Win America East Championship - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – No. 14 University at Albany field hockey (18-2) won its fourth America East title with a 5-0 victory against New Hampshire (10-12) on Saturday afternoon. The Great Danes have now won 12 straight games, and have their all-time highest single season win total.

“The tough thing in a conference tournament is the pressure,” said head coach Phil Sykes. “It’s easy to get here and be overwhelmed or stressed; but today our team was calm and composed. All the things we worked on during the year we executed, and that was our strength today.”

The Great Danes wasted no time getting on the board, as Paula Heuser found Pahila Arnold for the tip-in on the team’s second penalty corner of the game.

The Wildcats failed to register a shot for the first 30 minutes of the game, as the Great Danes shot nine including six looks on goal unanswered to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Purple & Gold held a 5-2 advantage in penalty corners.

With UAlbany one player down to open the second half, Maxi Primus made a number of crucial saves to maintain the lead. Three consecutive penalty corners by the Wildcats came up empty in the first 10 minutes.

Heuser continued to exert control through the midfield after the Great Danes were back to 11 players, registering two shots on penalty corners in the 47th minute.

The sophomore America East Midfielder of the Year converted on a give-and-go play off of a penalty corner with 25 minutes left in the half to give UAlbany a 3-0 lead. Senior Amy Nicklin found Heuser in the circle for the assist.

The Great Danes scored two more goals in the next four minutes. Heuser streaked down the field to score unassisted, followed by a goal from Echo Bretz. Laura Page worked down the left side to find Bretz in front of the net for a 5-0 lead.

Primus recorded her 10th shutout of the season, as well as matching a season high with six saves against the Wildcats.

UAlbany field hockey will learn its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday at 10:00 p.m., ET on NCAA.com.

University of Albany Men’s Lacrosse to Play Cornell in Dallas on February 28th - UAlbany sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany men’s lacrosse team will look to shine in the Lone Star State as it takes on Cornell on February 28^th, 2015 in Dallas, Texas.

The teams will meet on the campus of Southern Methodist University for the Saturday game.  The time of the game is to be announced.

This will be the second matchup of the in-state squads and first in the regular season.  UAlbany and Cornell met in the 2007 NCAA Quarterfinal Round, with the Big Red winning 12-11 in overtime in Princeton, New Jersey.

This game will feature a game of 2014 NCAA participants.  UAlbany earned a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals after winning the America East Tournament and defeating 3-seed Loyola in the first round.  Cornell earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after earning a share of the Ivy League regular season title, falling to Maryland in the NCAA First Round.

It will be the first time UAlbany men’s lacrosse will play in the state of Texas.  Cornell last played in Dallas in 2008 in a game versus Denver.

UAlbany will see a familiar face on the Big Red sideline with assistant coach Chris Kivlen, a UAlbany alum and former assistant coach that had a hand in four America East titles and the program’s first NCAA win in 2007. 

University of Albany Football's Gontarek Picks Up Third CAA Rookie Of The Week Honor - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

RICHMOND, Va. -- University at Albany freshman wide receiver Josh Gontarek has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, announced Monday by the conference office. The honor marks UAlbany’s eighth CAA accolade this fall.

NAME:  Josh Gontarek
POSITION:  WR
CLASS:  Fr.
HOMETOWN:  Mount Airy, Md.

STATS VS. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Receptions: 8
Yards: 70
Receiving Touchdowns: 1
Receiving TDs (Yards): 8

GONTAREK NOTES:  True freshman Josh Gontarek led UAlbany with eight receptions for 70 yards and an 8-yard touchdown grab in the Great Danes’ 49-24 loss to No. 2 New Hampshire … He led UAlbany to its first points of the game -- Facing 4th-and-3 on the UNH-20, Fiacchi connected a 13-yard pass to Gontarek, preserving the drive that led to a field goal … Gontarek also sparked UAlbany’s 21 straight points in a three-minute span, receiving an 8-yard TD pass from Fiacchi with 13:23 minutes left in the game – UAlbany recovered fumbles on the next two kickoffs, eventually resulting in two more touchdowns … Gontarek leads UAlbany with 45 receptions, 498 receiving yards (55.3/game), and six touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

UALBANY’S 2014 CAA WEEKLY AWARDS
Week 1: Neil Morrison - Defensive Player of the Week
Week 4: Patrick Toole - Special Teams Player of the Week
              Josh Gontarek - Rookie of the Week (also FCS National Freshman of the Week)
Week 5: Rayshan Clark - Defensive Player of the Week
Week 6: Josh Gontarek - Co-Rookie of the Week
Week 8: Christian Dorsey - Defensive Player of the Week
               Patrick Toole - Special Teams Player of the Week
Week 10: Josh Gontarek - Rookie of the Week

In addition to Gontarek, New Hampshire wide receiver R.J. Harris was named the Offensive Player of the Week, James Madison defensive lineman Sage Harold and Richmond linebacker Omar Howard were named Co-Defensive Players of the Week, and William & Mary running back Kendall Anderson earned the Special Teams Player of the Week honor. 

#12 University of Albany Field Hockey Earns Program-Record 10th Straight Win to Take America East Regular Season Championship - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

BURLINGTON, VT. – No. 12 University at Albany field hockey (16-2, 5-0 AE) scored four unanswered goals in the first half and put Vermont (3-15, 1-4 AE) away 5-1 in Burlington on Friday afternoon. The Halloween victory makes UAlbany the America East Regular Season Champion; and the Great Danes return home to host Fairfield in the America East Semifinals at 1:00 p.m., on Thursday.

“We’ve been in a few high-pressure situations before,” said head coach Phil Sykes. Having gone through the tournament last season with a younger team puts us in a position to do the right things this year. The last several games we’ve used that experience to be a more mature team, and that’s something we’ll need to continue in the post-season.”

Getting off to a quick start, Paula Heuser and Anna Bottino knocked on the door in the first 10 minutes to set the offensive tone. The Great Danes recorded fives shots on goal and four penalty corners in the opening seven minutes of the contest.

After a number of substitutions and another shot on goal from Kelsey Briddell, Kelly Bonner finally cracked the seal on the Vermont goal on an assist from Amy Nicklin with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

The Catamounts rebounded briefly for its first shot on goal, but the Purple & Gold regained possession and earned another penalty corner. Fiori Van Rijswijk made the insert, and after a stop from Laura Page, Paula Heuser scored her 25th goal of the season. Shortly after, the sophomore midfielder assisted on a 2-on-1 opportunity to Bonner to give UAlbany a 3-0 lead.

With less than five minutes left in the opening half, Nicklin tapped a penalty corner pass across the circle to find Van Rijswijk for the score.

The Great Danes took a 13-3 shot advantage and a 6-2 edge in penalty corners into the break.

Keeping up the defensive pressure despite the lead, an interception by Pahila Arnold gave UAlbany the ball deep in Catamount territory. A flick on from Bonner found Molly Mariano a look on net, but her attempt was saved off of the right post.

Vermont managed a goal on a penalty corner with 10 minutes gone in the second half.

With five minutes left UAlbany charged down the field on the counterattack, despite much of the second half taking place in the midfield. Arnold swung a grounder across the circle to Anna Bottino, who tapped the pass into the lower left corner of the cage.

UAlbany enters the America East Tournament semifinals on Thursday with a 10-game winning streak. It is the longest all-time single season winning streak in program history, besting last year’s nine-game undefeated run to open the season. The Great Danes are undefeated (8-0) at home for the first time since 2007, and will face No. 4 seed Fairfield at 1:00 p.m., on Thursday at Alumni Turf in the first America East semifinal.

AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT BRACKET
All games at Alumni Turf, Albany, N.Y.

Thursday, Nov. 6
Semifinal 1: No. 1 UAlbany vs. No. 4 Fairfield – 1:00 p.m.
Semifinal 2: No. 2 New Hampshire vs. No. 3 Maine – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8
Winners of Semifinals – 1:00 p.m.

University of Albany W Soccer Conquers League’s Top Defense, Shuts Down Maine 2-0 to Advance to AE Semifinals - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – Charged with facing the top defensive squad in the league, the UAlbany women’s soccer team scored two early goals and shut out Maine 2-0 at Bob Ford Field to advance to the America East semifinal round.

“From minute one, our energy was the highest it has been all season, the team understood the intensity and passion tonight was going to take, and we were the aggressor,” said UAlbany head coach Caitlin Cucchiella.

It is the first time UAlbany (7-8-5) has won an America East Tournament game by multiple goals and the first shutout since defeating Hartford 1-0 in the AE Semifinals in 2011.  It is also the first time an America East opponent scored multiple goals on Maine (4-8-6) this season.

Caitlyn Paltsios netted the long range goal from Celia Balf in the 13^th minute to put UAlbany on the board.  America East Rookie of the Year Vivian Vega scored a goal, her ninth of the year to tie her for second in single-season goals in UAlbany history, off the pass from Kiana Rugar in the 19^th minute to add insurance for the eventual 2-0 final score.

“It feels great and unreal, I am so proud of our team,” said Paltsios, an America East All-Conference Second Team midfielder. “I saw the goalie come off her line, so I took the quick shot.”

In goal, Alana Brennan saved eight shots and earned her fifth shutout of the season for the win, outdueling counterpart Claudia Dube-Trempe, the America East Goalkeeper of the Year, who had three saves in the defeat.

“It feels amazing, we were energized and ready to take on Maine tonight,” said Brennan.  “We more prepared for their aggressive play and counters, our coaches got us ready.”

4-seed UAlbany will take on 1-seed Hartford on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on the road for the semifinal round.

“I am so proud of the team’s growth and development over the last year, and I cannot wait for Hartford,” said Cucchiella.

UAlbany served as the early aggressor as Alexa Schneider went for a long range shot in the 2^nd minute, with Dube-Trempe getting the save. 

The other way in minute eight, Charlene Achille got a look on a header from a cross, missing left of the post.  UAlbany countered, kicked the ball around the penalty box and got a chance from Krista Fitzpatrick, being stopped by a diving Dube-Trempe.

In the 13^th minute, Balf dribbled the ball up the midfield.  She passed to the near side to a running Paltsios.  The keeper ran slightly up as Paltsios kicked towards the goal.  The keeper got a hand on the ball on the dive, but could not stop the ball as it went into the left post for the score, putting UAlbany up 1-0.

Achille tried another long range shot in the 17^th minute, with Brennan getting another save.

UAlbany struck again in the 19^th minute.  Rugar about 35 yards out passed to Vega, who surged past the back line.  One-on-one with the keeper, she dribbled around Dube-Trempe and kicked a ground ball into the center of the net for the score, making it 2-0 UAlbany.

Maine nearly got a goal off a couple of shots from Achille in the 21^st minute.  The first was stopped by Brennan, the next 20 seconds later was blocked by a defender.  UAlbany cleared and the threat was ended.

The visitors had a breakaway in the 33^rd minute.  Eve L’Abbe took a very long shot, hitting the crossbar and staying in play.  On the rebound, Achille went for a header off the bounce, missing high.  L’Abbe had one more shot the rest of the half, being saved by Brennan.  UAlbany went into the locker room up 2-0.

Maine had the ball locked into the offensive third in the 58^th minute, with an Achille shot being saved by Brennan.  Brennan’s punt was headed back towards the penalty area, seeing Ashley Robinson try a shot.  That too was saved by the UAlbany keeper.

UAlbany struck back in the 65^th minute.  Paltsios went on another breakaway on the far side, trying a long shot.  A jumping Dube-Trempe punched the ball over the crossbar.  On the resulting corner, Fitzpatrick found Schneider for the header, with the attempt missing wide.

Paltsios had another chance in the 70^th minute on a breakaway.  Going one-vs-two towards the goal, Dube-Trempe ran into Paltsios outside the box, drawing the yellow card.  Paltsios went for the cage on the free kick, seeing the attempt blocked by the Maine wall.

UAlbany protected against the Maine threat by keeping passes in the midfield.  Towards the end, Maine fired times at the goal, with Brennan saving one and the other four missing the net.  UAlbany held firm and won the game 2-0.

In other AE Quarterfinal action, New Hampshire advanced to the next round on penalty kicks 4-2 in a tie vs. Binghamton.  With that result, UAlbany finishes its home season at 7-4.

Heuser, Page Break All-Time University of Albany Field Hockey Program Records in 4-2 Victory at Yale - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

NEW HAVEN, CONN. – Despite a slow start on Sunday afternoon, No. 13 University at Albany field hockey (15-2, 4-0 AE) came away with a 4-2 win at Yale (2-13). The victory marks the ninth straight for UAlbany, in a three-way tie for the longest winning streak in the nation. Paula Heuser and Laura Page each topped an all-time single season offensive category.

"It was a tough game, and Yale played well," said head coach Phil Sykes. "We battled back, and I'm proud of Laura [Page] and Paula [Heuser] for breaking two long-standing records today."

Yale got out to an early 2-0 shot advantage at home, and with its first penalty corner of the game took a 1-0 lead.

The Great Danes responded with a series of penalty corners of their own, but Pahila Arnold and Heuser had their attempts stopped. In seven penalty corners during the first half, UAlbany failed to convert and went into the break down 1-0.

Heuser quickly took control in the second period, firing on all cylinders on an early penalty corner. The sophomore scored on the set piece from Fiori Van Rijswijk and Laura Page. The goal marked her 22nd of the season, and her 51st point. With the score, Heuser became the all-time single season leader in points. The midfielder passed UAlbany Division II powerhouse Tovah Atwell, who has held the record since 1998 with 50 points.

With the game tied, the Purple & Gold continued to battle in the circle for penalty corners. After recording seven shots in the first half, Yale failed to fire on-target in the second period.

Heuser spread the wealth on a penalty corner in the 53rd minute, as the sophomore found Van Rijswijk for the tally. Van Rijswijk notched a new single-game career high with five points against the Bulldogs. The tally for the 2-1 lead was also her fourth game-winner of 2014.

Just six minutes later, Heuser gave the Great Danes some breathing room with another penalty corner slam from Page and Van Rijswijk. With the assist, Page became the all-time single season leader in assists. The junior tallied her 20th for the 3-1 lead to break a nine-year old record.

The penalty corner trio teamed up for one last goal in the 63rd minute. Yale slid one past the Great Danes defense shortly after, but UAlbany held on for its ninth straight win.

Two other teams in Division I field hockey have a nine game winning streak, No. 2 Maryland and No. 3 Stanford. UAlbany handed Stanford its only loss of the season in Palo Alto on Sept. 14, 1-0.

Paula Heuser is now the all-time single season leader in points, smashing a record that stood for nearly 20 years. Her 56 points come off 24 goals and eight assists. Heuser is already the all-time single season leader in goals. She has 101 points for her career, ranking tied for second in Division I program history after just two seasons. The German ranks tied for second with former teammate Corrine McConville and current UAlbany assistant Michelle Simpson.  

Laura Page now has 21 assists in 2014, setting a new all-time record in single-season assists. She has 45 for her career, and is six shy of becoming the all-time leader in the category.

Four Great Danes have 20 points or more this season, including Heuser (56), Van Rijsiwjk (24), Page (23) and Anna Bottino (20).

No. 13 UAlbany field hockey concludes the regular season at Vermont (3-14, 1-3 AE) on Friday, Oct. 31 at 3:00 p.m. 

University of Albany's Fiacchi Leads #25 Football In Stunning, 24-17, Win Over Colgate - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – With the score tied and just 16 seconds remaining in Saturday evening’s contest at Bob Ford Field, redshirt senior quarterback Will Fiacchi scampered into the end zone, piloting the University at Albany football team to a 24-17 victory over Colgate. The win improved UAbany’s record to 6-2 on the season, while the Raiders fell to 4-4 overall.

Fiacchi had a hand in all three of the Great Danes’ touchdowns, as he completed 22-of-32 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for a career-high 37-yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

“He’s a very capable runner, we just don’t want to run him a lot,” said Head Coach Greg Gattuso. “Trust me the play he made at the end of the game was really big.”

With his performance, Fiacchi became the first quarterback in UAlbany’s Division I FCS era to throw for over 6,000 yards in his career, currently with 6,134.

Spreading the wealth, Fiacchi connected with seven different receivers in the game, as freshman Josh Gontarek and redshirt freshman Brad Harris led the team with four receptions and 48 yards apiece. Redshirt senior wide receiver Cole King and tight end Brian Parker also had four receptions each for 45 and 42 yards, respectively. Redshirt sophomore tight end Nic Ketter recorded his first touchdown reception of the season and second of his career, totaling two receptions in the contest.

In the ground game, redshirt senior Omar Osbourne pounded his way through the defensive line for 101 rushing yards on 26 carries, marking his 13th career 100+ rushing game and sixth this season. He also had three receptions for a game-high 133 all-purpose yards.

Defensively, the Great Danes held the Raiders to 201 yards of offense and just four third down conversions in 11 attempts. Michael Nicastro led the team, with 13 tackles, including five solo, and one for a sack of five yards. Redshirt senior linebacker Christian Dorsey added 11 tackles and forced a fumble, while true freshman cornerback Jamal Robinson logged nine tackles (four solo).

The duo of nose guard Zach Troutman and defensive tackle Tim Kologrivov put heavy pressure on Colgate rookie quarterback Bret Mooney, as Troutman recorded three tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including an 11-yard sack. Kologrivov contributed two solo sacks, also setting the Raiders back 18 yards.

Winning the toss, UAlbany elected to receive and turned its first drive into a 3-0 head start. The Great Danes ate 8:11 minutes off the clock, using 16 plays to navigate 79-yards, ending in Patrick Toole’s 32-yard field goal.

In the Raider’s opening drive, UAlbany’s defense made a fourth-down stop, leading to another successful possession for the Danes. Converting on third down with a 6-yard pass to Ketter, Fiacchi found Osbourne for 19-yards and another first down before the Marcellus, N.Y. native rushed three times consecutively. Fiacchi capped the drive with a one-yard jump over the pile and across the goal line, giving UAlbany a 10-0 lead after Toole’s point-after with 13:49 remaining in the second quarter.

However, the visiting Raiders responded with10 straight points in the second quarter, as James Travellin rushed seven yards into the end zone with 8:13 remaining in the half.

Colgate’s Kyle Diener then intercepted Fiacchi’s pass at midfield, giving the Raiders possession at the 3:29 mark. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but since official replay was being tested in the game, the video monitors ruled in Colgate’s favor. The Raiders turned the turnover into a field goal, as Jonah Bowman hit a game-tying 38-yarder with 18 seconds left before the break.

In the second half, the Great Danes struck first, driving 53-yards on 12 plays. Bearing down, UAlbany converted three times on third down, and Fiacchi capped with drive with a three-yard pass to Ketter with 5:40 remaining in the third.

Halting the Danes’s first drive of the fourth quarter, Colgate’s Kris Kent forced and recovered a fumble at the UAlbany 43 yard line. The Raiders again turned the miscue into points, tying the score, 17-17, with 10:57 remaining on John Wilkins’ one-yard push into the end zone.

“Colgate’s a good football team. What they do, the do really well,” said Kologrivov. Their offense is predicated upon missed assignments and the defensive line not being exactly where they need to be to take away one of their options. They put together a good drive.”

With time winding down, UAlbany looked to take the lead on Toole’s 33-yard field goal with 4:42 to go, but the ball sailed wide left.

However, the Great Danes’ defense rose to the occasion, forcing a three-and-out, giving the ball back to UAlbany with 3:03 remaining. Starting from the UAlbany-34, the Danes crossed midfield on Fiacchi’s 16-yard pass to Gontarek. Parker added a nine-yard reception, and then after a UAlbany timeout, Fiacchi rushed 26-yards out of the pocket and out of bounds at the 2-yard line.

Faking a handoff to Osbourne, the Raider defense swarmed UAlbany’s top running back, and Fiacchi scampered, untouched, into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with just 16 seconds left on the clock. Toole’s extra point made the score 24-17.

UAlbany ended the game sacking Mooney twice to preserve the victory.

Mooney finished with 69 passing yards, completing 8-of-16 passes, while Demetrius Russell led the team with 63 rushing yard on 13 carries.

“I enjoy and appreciate every win,” said Gattuso. “I think it’s huge to get to six wins. As I keep saying, it gives us a chance to get seven.”

“Obviously we’re happy with where we are, but during the offseason and in camp this is what the guys in our locker room expected,” said Fiacchi. “We knew exactly what we had in the locker room, and we knew what we can achieve. We’re not done yet; we’re just getting started. We’re excited about where we can go from here.”

UAlbany returns to conference play for the remainder of the season, traveling first to face No. 3 New Hampshire on Nov. 1 at 6:00 p.m.

University of Albany Field Hockey's Heuser Tops National Points Per Game Leaderboard for Second Consecutive Week - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y.- With just three regular season games left, No. 13 University at Albany field hockey continues to rank among the nation’s leaders in both team and individual categories. Sophomore midfielder Paula Heuser leads the nation in points per game (3.00) for the second consecutive week, as the Great Danes dropped to No. 13 in the NFHCA Poll.

The defending America East Midfielder and Rookie of the Year, Heuser is first in points per game (3.00) and second in goals per game (1.27). The sophomore has never dropped out of the national top-10 in either category this season.

Laura Page records her third consecutive week in the No. 2 spot for assists per game. She is joined this week in the top-20 by Fiori Van Rijswijk, who ranks 19th (0.67) in the category.

Defensively, Jordyn Homyak ranks 16th in defensive saves with three. Goalkeeper Maxi Primus is third in goals against average (0.75) and fifth in save percentage (.796). The sophomore has not dipped out of the top-10 in either category this season.

No. 25 University of Albany Football Reappears In TSN Rankings - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

ALBANY, N.Y.  – Coming off a 20-7 conference win over Maine, the University at Albany football team has received a No. 25 ranking in The Sports Network Media Poll. After a two-week absence, the Great Danes are back in the Top-25 for the third time this season.

The Great Danes (5-2, 2-2 CAA) are one of five CAA teams in the rankings, as New Hampshire leads the conference at No. 3, followed by No. 5 Villanova, No. 16 Richmond, and No. 18 William and Mary. UAlbany’s final two road games of the season are against the Wildcats of both New Hampshire (Nov. 1) and Villanova (Nov. 15).

UAlbany leads the nation in turnover margin (+17/2.43) this fall and also ranks second in the conference for scoring defense (17.0) and total defense (339.4).

A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select The Sports Network Top 25. In the voting, a first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

Up next, UAlbany steps out of conference play, hosting Colgate Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. contest at Bob Ford Field. Click here to explore ticketing options or call 518-442-DANE. The game will also air on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel in Albany/Hudson Valley and Syracuse.

UALBANY DIVISION I RANKING HISTORY
2014
TSN Top-25 Media Poll
#25 (Week 9)
#23 (Week 6)
#24 (Week 5)

2012
TSN Top-25 Media Poll
#20 (Week 9)
#24 (Week 8)

AFCA FCS Coaches Poll
#18 (Week 9)
#20 (Week 8)
#T-22 (Week 7)
#24 (Week 6)

2006
TSN Top-25 Media Poll
#23 (Week 5)

Team (First-place votes)		2014 Record	Points	Previous Rank
1.	North Dakota State Bison (152)	7-0	3848	1
2.	Eastern Washington Eagles (2)	7-1	3676	2
3.	New Hampshire Wildcats	5-1	3402	3
4.	Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	7-0	3353	4
5.	Villanova Wildcats	6-1	3304	5
6.	Jacksonville State Gamecocks	5-1	2996	6
7.	Montana Grizzlies	5-2	2941	7
8.	Southeastern Louisiana Lions	6-2	2683	8
9.	Illinois State Redbirds	6-0	2448	10
10.	Montana State Bobcats	6-2	2432	9
11.	McNeese State Cowboys	4-2	2181	11
12.	Fordham Rams	6-1	2129	12
13.	South Dakota State Jackrabbits	5-2	1759	18
14.	Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	6-1	1733	16
15.	Chattanooga Mocs	4-3	1584	17
16.	Richmond Spiders	5-2	1558	19
17.	Youngstown State Penguins	5-2	1492	21
18.	William & Mary Tribe	4-3	1191	15
19.	Eastern Kentucky Colonels	6-1	1097	13
20.	Southern Illinois Salukis	5-3	1014	14
21.	Harvard Crimson	5-0	711	25
22.	Indiana State Sycamores	4-3	563	22
23.	Northern Iowa Panthers	3-4	402	20
24.	Sacred Heart Pioneers	6-1	390	NR
25.	UAlbany Great Danes	5-2	221	NR
Others receiving votes: Bryant 119, Charleston Southern 114, Liberty 113, Missouri State 87, Western Carolina 56, Sam Houston State 40, Northwestern State 40, Grambling State 37, Dartmouth 30, James Madison 29, Wofford 22, Alcorn State 22, Delaware 21, Central Arkansas 21, Bucknell 21, North Carolina A&T 21, Jacksonville 20, Stephen F. Austin 14, Tennessee State 14, Western Illinois 13, Presbyterian 13, Northern Arizona 12, Cal Poly 11, Yale 10, Southeast Missouri State 10, Furman 9, South Carolina State 8, Samford 7, Idaho State 3, Monmouth 3, Duquesne 1, Lamar 1.

Cal, UC Davis, Pacific, Stanford Added As America East Associate Members in Field Hockey

 

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The America East Conference announced today that four institutions - University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Davis; University of the Pacific and Stanford University - have been accepted as associate members for field hockey beginning with the 2015-16 academic year. 

The four schools, which will depart the NorPac Conference following the 2014-15 academic year, will join America East’s five full members that sponsor field hockey - University at Albany, University of Maine, UMass Lowell, University of New Hampshire and University of Vermont - to form one of the best field hockey conferences in the country. In total, the nine schools have combined to make 37 NCAA tournament appearances all time.

“We are excited to add these four elite institutions as America East associate members for field hockey,” said America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen. “This will add depth to a sport that is already one of our strongest, preserve our automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and reinforce our commitment to broad-based, competitive athletics programs and championships.”

The associate membership agreement with each institution will be for two years, the 2015 and 2016 seasons. America East will have two field hockey divisions with Albany, Maine, UMass Lowell, New Hampshire and Vermont comprising the East Division and Cal, UC-Davis, Pacific and Stanford making up the West Division. The America East Field Hockey Championships will consist of eight teams for the next two seasons, four teams from each division, with the 2015 tournament taking place on the east coast and the 2016 championship being played on the west coast. The America East champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Field Hockey Championship.

“As coaches, we want our conference to be as strong and as competitive as possible,” said Maine head coach and America East coaches chair Josette Babineau. “The addition of these four programs will allow our conference to be even more competitive nationally and compete with the other large conferences and result in more of our programs having success in the NCAA tournament.”

Cal, UC Davis, Pacific and Stanford join a league that has established itself among the top field hockey leagues in the country. Five different schools have been ranked nationally while competing in America East since 2012, including Albany, which is currently ranked 11th in the nation and peaked at No. 7 this season. Maine is also ranked having entered the poll at No. 20 this week. Among the west schools, Stanford is nationally ranked, climbing to No. 3 in this week’s poll.

Fairfield University, which has been an America East associate member in field hockey since 2007, begins play in the MAAC starting next season

Founded in 1979, the America East Conference consists of nine member institutions: University at Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, UMBC, UMass Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. The conference sponsors championships in 18 sports, including field hockey, and provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field

Defense Shines in University of Albany Football’s 20-7 Win at Maine - UAlbany Sports 2014

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

ORONO, MAINE - University at Albany football (5-2, 2-2 CAA) spoiled Maine’s homecoming on Saturday afternoon, coming away with a 20-7 win in Orono. Greg Gattuso’s Danes are now 2-2 in conference entering a league bye week next Saturday.

“To come to Maine and get a win is really good for our program,” said Gattuso. “We made some plays when we needed to make them, and that’s what you have to do to win games. “

The defense proved to be the offensive story for UAlbany in the first half, as a pair of fumble recoveries led to 10 points on the board and lead after Maine went up 7-0. Michael Nicastro topped the defense with 13 tackles, including six solo shots. Linebacker Christian Dorsey picked up a fumble for his first-ever touchdown return to conclude the first quarter, and forced a fumble in the second half.

Omar Osbourne recorded his fifth game with 100 or more rushing yards this season, capping off with 108. The senior running back his reached or surpassed the 100-yard mark 12 times in his career.

Will Fiacchi threw for 120 yards on 12-for-30 passing with one TD pass. The senior is nearing 6,000 passing yards for his career, with 5,903 to date.

UAlbany elected to receive after winning the toss, but the Great Danes took a delay of game penalty on the opening play to start with a 1st-and-15.

Three yards picked up on a run by Omar Osbourne on second down was lost on third down, in an attempt to hit Josh Gontarek on a screen play. The Great Danes ended the possession punting out of their own end zone.

The Purple & Gold hoped to make an immediate impact on special teams, as Maine fumbled on the kick return. The Black Bears managed to recover at their own 47 yard-line. UAlbany’s defensive line forced Maine into a three-and-out.

UAlbany found itself pinned deep in its own territory, starting on the 12 yard-line. After a five-yard run from Osbourne, miscommunication led to Gattuso burning his first timeout of the half.

On 2nd-and-5, Osbourne picked up four yards to give UAlbany a 3rd-and-one. Fiacchi’s pass to Jake Meek fell incomplete on the third down attempt, but a tripping penalty on the Great Danes put punter Jon Martin deep in his own end zone once again.

Maine picked up at its own 42 yard-line. Five plays and 2:32 later the Black Bears had a 7-0 lead with 8:20 left in the first quarter.

After two three-and-outs for the Gattuso’s squad, Josh Gontarek picked up UAlbany’s first third down conversion on a five-yard pass from Fiacchi to get the Purple & Gold to its own 30 yard-line.

Two incomplete passes brought Martin back on for a punt with 6:24 remaining in the first quarter.

With just one first down in four possessions, Neil Morrison provided some necessary spark with a big sack on 3rd-and-3. The play forced Maine to punt with time winding down in the first quarter.

UAlbany got the ball back with 58 seconds on the clock. Osbourne picked up seven yards on second down, but Fiacchi was sacked to bring on the punting unit. On the third-down play, flags flew for penalties on both sides, but Maine retained possession.

With the quarter needing to end on a play, not a penalty, Maine quarterback Drew Belcher fumbled. The ensuing recovery by Christian Dorsey went 60 yards downfield for a UAlbany touchdown. Before Dorsey’s run, the Great Danes had 16 total yards to their credit.

“They had an untimed down, and we knew we couldn’t let that slip away,” said Dorsey. “We ran the defense, and as I was dropping back I saw the quarterback lose the ball. I picked it up and ran as fast as I could. Coach told us, sometimes offense is going to win the game for us, and sometimes the defense is going to win the game. We needed our defense to step up today and that’s what we did.”

Despite having the ball back to open the second quarter, Maine suffered three personal foul penalties to end up in a 3rd-and-40 situation. The Black Bears punted away to put UAlbany on its own 36 yard-line.

Three Osbourne runs set up a 4th-and-1 on its own 46. Gattuso called timeout and went for it, with Osbourne making the one-yard run for the first down.

Fiacchi hit Cole King for 15 yards to pick up another first down, but a false start penalty and sack on 3rd down sent the ball back in the other direction.

Both teams came up empty-handed on their ensuing possessions, and Jojo McClary nearly pinned Maine inside its own five, but the touch-back prevailed.

On its first play of the possession, Maine coughed up a fumble forced by Dorsey. After another holding penalty and three incomplete passes, Patrick Toole nailed a 52-yard field goal to give the Great Danes their first lead. The field goal was Toole’s longest this season, and the second-longest field goal made in UAlbany’s program history.

The scoring drives for the Purple & Gold in the first half totaled 39 seconds of game time, and UAlbany took a 13-7 lead into the half.

Maine earned just three first downs in the third quarter, with the UAlbany defense limiting the Black Bears to 44 yards total and no passing yards.

With 6:53 left in the third quarter, UAlbany took over with its best field position of the day on the punt at its own 38 yard-line. Fiacchi ran for the first down to the 48 yard-line on 3rd-and-6 to keep the drive going. On 3rd & 5 at the Maine 43, the senior quarterback found Gontarek for a 15-yard completion.

Toole kicked a 46-yard field goal to give the Great Danes a 13-7 lead. The scoring drive killed 4:23 of clock, but the contest remained a one-possession game.

After going 2-for-8 in the first quarter and 3-for-11 in the second quarter on the pass, Fiacchi completed four of his seven pass attempts in the third quarter.

Fiacchi began connecting with fellow senior Brian Parker on the outside in the fourth quarter. Parker brought in a seven-yard pass to give the Great Danes a first down with 12:12 left on 3rd & 5.

The possession ended in a 32-yard punt, but  Maine could not take advantage on the other end, as tackles from Nicastro and Malachi Hoskins gave the Black Bears just 13 yards of offense on the drive.

UAlbany blew the game wide open after a 41-yard completion to Nic Ketter put the Great Danes on the Maine 19 yard-line. Three rushes by Osbourne put the Purple & Gold into scoring position with a 1st & goal.

Fiacchi completed a four-yard pass to Parker for the touchdown, with the PAT giving Gattuso’s squad a 20-7 lead with 3:22 remaining.

The Black Bears looked to rally, but a 15-yard penalty gave Maine a 1st-and-25 with two minutes left. After a sack by Cory Connell, the comeback proved out of reach.

UAlbany football (5-2, 2-2 CAA) returns to Bob Ford Field to face Colgate (4-3, 2-0 Patriot League) at 3:30 p.m.