Field Hockey Falls 4-1 at No. 6 Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. – Meg Carroll (Mansfield, Mass.) scored a late goal but the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was defeated 4-1 Sunday afternoon by sixth-ranked University at Albany at Alumni Turf.

UNH is now 4-6 overall and 1-1 in America East. Albany improved to 9-1, 2-0 America East. The Great Danes finished with a 15-7 shot advantage, including 8-3 on goal, as well as a 3-1 edge in penalty corners.

UNH goalkeeper Melissa Rize (Severn, Md.) was credited with four saves. Courtney Sweeny (Windham, N.H.) recorded her first career point with an assist on Carroll's goal.

Albany goalie Maxi Praus stopped two shots. Anna Bottino led the offense with a goal and an assist. Camryn Dias, Frederike Helmke and Liza Morgan scored the other goals.

The Great Danes struck early when Morgan scored on the first shot of the game at 1:23. Bottino
drove the right end line and struck a ball that was deflected in by Morgan to earn an assist.

Albany earned a corner in the sixth minute and Rize made the save against Paula Heuser to keep the 'Cats within one goal. The home team continued to control play and Morgan's shot at 9:39 was stopped by Rize.

The Great Danes converted consecutive corners in the 12^th minute into a 2-0 lead. Laura Page's shot on the initial corner was blocked but resulted in another corner, and this time Helmke scored off Megan Ma's pass at 11:40.

Bottino struck a shot that caromed off the post in the 19^th minute. Neither team recorded a shot or corner the next six minutes until New Hampshire tallied its first shot of the game by Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) that sailed over the cage.

With just over eight minutes remaining in the first half, the Wildcats fired their first shot on goal but Carroll was denied by Primus.

Dias extended the advantage to 3-0 at 29:26 when her reverse stick from the left end line sailed into the upper-right corner of the cage.

Albany threatened again with two minutes on the clock, but Heuser shot wide and Dias was turned aside by Rize. The Great Danes entered halftime with a 3-0 lead as well as a 10-2 shot advantage and 3-0 edge in penalty corners.

UNH generated the first scoring threat of the second half in the 40^th minute. Following the insert by Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.) on a penalty corner, Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) blasted a direct shot wide right.

Two minutes later, Emma Compagna (Canton, Mass.) gained possession on the left side and struck a long hit that was tracked down by Nerbonne. She entered the circle and pushed the ball to the middle to avoid Primus, who charged off the goal line. Nerbonne lost possession, but Taylor Scafidi (Waltham, Mass.) corralled the ball and struck a shot that rolled to the right of the cage.

In the 50^th minute, Heuser broke free on the right side of the fan, but Rize stood her ground to make the save.

UNH took its timeout at 53:07. Just under four minutes later, Heuser set up Bottino's goal that gave the Great Danes a 4-0 lead at 56:57.

Nerbonne's dangerous shot was stopped by Primus at 59:25 and Albany immediately called time out.

The Wildcats capitalized on a quick attack to trim the deficit to 4-1 at 65:12. Both Sweeny and Carroll were unmarked when UNH's long hit went into the circle. Sweeny, on the top right, redirected the ball to the middle and Carroll swept a shot into the cage.

Albany kept the 'Cats at bay the rest of the way to preserve the three-goal lead.

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 9 (4 p.m.) at home against the University of Vermont. The Wildcats also play host to Boston College next weekend – Oct. 11 at 3 p.m.