ALBANY, N.Y. - The UAlbany field hockey team continues the 2023 season at the America East Championships.
GAME INFORMATION
AE Championship - #2 UAlbany vs #4 California
DATE: Sunday, November 5
TIME: 12:00 PM
SITE: Wicked Blue Field - Lowell, Mass.
STREAM:
ESPN+
INT'L STREAM:
AE.TV
STATS:
GoRiverHawks.com
AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
- Thursday - Quarterfinals
- #5 Vermont vs #4 California, 12 pm
- #6 Maine vs #3 New Hampshire, 3 pm
- Friday - Semifinals
- #4 California vs #1 UMass Lowell, 12 pm
- #6 Maine vs #2 UAlbany, 3 pm
- Sunday - Championships
- #4 California vs #2 UAlbany, 12 pm
2023 AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
- Vermont and California began the tournament with the noon contest on Thursday (Nov. 2). In a game that saw just four shots on goal total, the Golden Bears won with one goal on three shots on goal.
- Starting their time in the tournament with an upset, sixth-seed Maine defeated third-seed New Hampshire in an overtime contest. Tied after the first quarter, each team tallied a goal in the second half - the Black Bears in the third and the Wildcats in the fourth - before heading into regulation. Eight minutes in, Poppy Lambert scored the game-winning goal during a penalty corner.
- On Friday, November 3, the upsets continued as California defeated the host, UMass Lowell, in double overtime. After the River Hawks got up by two in the first 20 minutes of action, the Golden Bears tied the score with two goals in five minutes. Ending regulation after a scoreless second half, each team totaled one shot on goal in the first overtime period. Bringing the goal into the circle, Daniella Rhodes beat the last defender before scoring the game-winning goal.
- UAlbany won the second semifinal while breaking three different conference tournament records. Notching three goals in the first quarter, three in the third quarter, and two in the final, the Great Danes broke the record with eight goals in a single game. Alison Smisdom grabbed five goals to break the conference tournament record for both points and goals in a single game.
GREAT DANE REWIND
- In the most recent NFHCA Coaches Poll, UAlbany is ranked 19th in the nation.
- With the release of the 10th coaches poll, including the preseason poll, the Great Danes have seen a ranking in all but three individual weeks throughout the season. Their season-high came from a week five 18th-place.
- Seeing a tough non-conference schedule, UAlbany went 4-4 with wins over Stonehill (8.27), Hofstra (9.8), Cornell (9.10), and Towson (9.16) and losses to UMass (8.25), #7 Iowa (9.3), Drexel (9.17), and #3 UNC (10.15).
- In conference, the Great Danes defeated all but the tournament hosts - UMass Lowell.
- Alison Smisdom leads the team with 22 goals and 51 points.
- Mara Küskes trails with 20 points, including a team-high 12 assists.
- With a wide range of Great Danes contributing to the score over half of the field players (11 total) have notched at least one goal or assist.
- Smisdom has totaled three defensive saves on the season.
- In goal, junior Lara Behn leads with a 1.42 goals-against average and a .681 save percentage in 930 minutes.
ABOUT #4 CALIFORNIA
- Prior to the AE Championship Tournament, California tallied a 9-7 record while finishing 5-3 in conference play.
- In the America East, the Golden Bears defeated Stanford (Sept. 29), Bryant (Oct. 8), UC Davis (Oct. 14), New Hampshire (Oct. 27), and Maine (Oct. 29).
- California recorded one-goal losses to UAlbany (Sept. 22), Vermont (Sept. 24), and #17 UMass Lowell (Oct. 6).
- Daniella Rhodes leads the Golden Bears with 19 goals and 42 points.
- Bente Baekers follows with 16 goals and 37 points.
- Cato Geusgens owns the team-high in assists with seven.
- Tina Jolly has registered 1019:28 minutes in goal this season. Recording a 1.77 goals against average with a .703 save percentage.
SERIES AGAINST THE GOLDEN BEARS
- The Great Danes lead the all-time series, 3-2.
- Earlier this season, UAlbany defeated California, 2-1, in overtime (Sept. 22).
- Charlotte Triggs scored the opening goal in the first quarter, assisted by Blanca Orsola.
- Alison Smisdom scored the game-winning goal on a penalty corner, assisted by Mara Küskes.
- The Great Danes have defeated California in each of their last three matchups.
AMERICA EAST POSTSEASON AWARDS
- Midfielder of the Year - Alison Smisdom
- First Team All-Conference
- Second Team All-Conference
- All-Rookie Team
- All-Academic Team
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
(As of November 4)
- Great Danes have four student-athletes currently ranked in the national (NCAA Division I) stats:
- Alison Smisdom
- 3rd - 2.83 points per game
- 4th - 1.22 goals per game
- T23rd - 3 defensive saves
- Mara Küskes
- T5th - .67 assists per game
- Blanca Orsola
- T11th - .59 assists per game
- Lara Behn
- T6th - .833 goalie win percentage
- 25th - 1.419 goals against average
IN THE AMERICA EAST
(As of October 30)
- The Great Danes have leaders in each of the seven offensive and four goalie stat categories:
- Shots/Game
- Shots on Goal/Game
- Goals/Game
- Assists/Game
- Points/Game
- Game Winning Goals
- Defensive Saves
- Goals Against Average
- Save Percentage
- Shutouts/Game
- Saves/Game
WORK AS A TEAM, WIN AS A TEAM
(As of November 4)
- In the nation, UAlbany ranks:
- T5th - 3.17 goals/game
- 7th - 8.61 points/game
- 10th - 3.02 scoring average
- 12th - 7.50 penalty corners/game
- 12th - 1.54 scoring margin
- T12th - .722 winning percentage
- 15th - 2.28 assists/game
- T18th - 5 defensive saves
- T28th - .22 shutouts/game
- The Great Danes' rank in the conference:
- 1st - 10.56 shots on goal/game
- 2nd - 8.61 points/game
- 2nd - 2.28 assists/game
- 2nd - 1.56 goals against average
- 2nd - 7.50 corners/game
- 3rd - 16.22 shots/game
- 3rd - 3.17 goals/game
- 3rd - .222 shutouts/game
UP NEXT: If the Great Danes win the AE Championship, UAlbany will receive an automatic bid to compete in the NCAA Tournament. Final selections will be released during the 2023 Field Hockey NCAA Selection Show - watch live at 10 pm on Sunday, November 5 at the NCAA website.
For more information on the University at Albany field hockey team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyfh
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanyfh
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyFH
