Albany Beats UMass for First Time Ever
from press release
ALBANY, N.Y. – Taylor Frink matched a
career-high with four goals and Melanie Sosnowski scored three
times in leading UAlbany to a 14-7 victory over Massachusetts on
Saturday afternoon at John Fallon Field. The Great Danes, who
improved to 4-1 overall, are off to their best start as a Division
I program.
The Great Danes raced to a 6-1 lead in the opening 20 minutes of
play. Sosnowski placed a shot inside the right post after
midfielder Nikki Branchini came up with the first draw and passed
ahead. Frink gave her team a 2-0 advantage with 59 seconds
elapsed as she moved around the cage, working right to left, and
went low from the top of the crease.
After Massachusetts (3-6) sliced the lead in half, UAlbany scored
four uanswered. Mel Rorie, a junior midfielder, found the net
twice in that sequence, the first off a free-position attempt and
the second by converting a drive with a tough-angle blast into the
lower left corner. Olivia Jarem completed the run when she
connected on a high shot from the left side.
The Minutewomen, who are the favorites to win this year’s
Atlantic 10 Conference title after capturing the championship last
year, trailed 9-3 early in the final period, before producing
back-to-back goals by Danielle Pelletier and Jackie Lyons.
Pelletier fired a free-position shot inside the left post and
Lyons, a first-team all-conference midfielder, came from behind the
cage with 17:51 remaining.
UAlbany responded with consecutive goals from Frink and Kayla
Best. Frink circled around the net to the right side to score
with a low shot. Best, a senior midifielder who had two goals
and two assists, drove from the point and snet a low, sidearm
delivery from the right past goalkeeper Katie Florence for an 11-5
cushion with 9:28 to play.
Still leading 12-7, the Great Danes secured their first win in
seven meetings with UMass by finding the cage twice in the last two
minutes. Sosnowski, who also handed two assists, hit an empty
net off a feed from Jodi Battaglia against a defensive
double-team. Frink and Sosnowski teamed up on a fastbreak
goal following a clearing pass with 44.8 seconds remaining.
“The defense played really well and kept making stops to give
our attack opportunities,” said UAlbany coach Linsdsey Hart,
whose goalkeeper Ashley Ross made seven saves. “We
responded well against a high-pressure team. We stuck to the
game plan.”
Florence finished with 12 saves for the Minutewomen, who return
nine starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament squad.
Senior midfielder Merritt Cosgrove had one goal and one assist to
lead the offense. UAlbany’s Battaglia had one goal and
assisted on another.
“UMass is a tough opponent, but we played good team defense and worked well together,” explained Branchini, a midfielder who totaled six draw controls, three ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers. “We wanted to get to those 50-50 balls. When things got closer (in the second half), the defense did a good job of putting a stop to it.”
