Early Paltsios Goal Not Enough as UAlbany Drops AE Opener to Hartford 3-1
Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. – A Caitlyn Paltsios goal in the 5th minute and a Great Danes first half lead were not enough as a Hartford second half hat trick gave the Hawks a 3-1 win at Bob Ford Field on Sunday.
In the first opportunity of the game, Anna Seneta passed to Helena Olafsdottir in the fifth minute. Receiving a cross from Olafsdottir, Paltsios kicked the ball from the middle-right to the left side of the net past a diving Jessica Jurg for a 1-0 Great Danes (1-9, 0-1 AE) lead.
Hartford (6-2-3, 1-0 AE) looked to counter in the 12th minute. After a Chanel Johnson shot was blocked, Arielle Aikens shot the ball on the rebound, but Jackie Ubert made the save to hold the lead.
UAlbany held on a number of Hartford shot attempts in the first half, with kicks by Johnson and Stephanie Santos being blocked in the 38th and 39th minutes respectively.
Nearing the end of the first half, Allison Carhart got the ball around the keeper, but a defender stopped the attempt. Erin Savoldy tried on the rebound, but another defender stopped her chance at a goal. UAlbany went into the break up 1-0.
Both sides played aggressively in the start of the second period, with neither getting off a shot in the first nine minutes. In minute 55, Sidney Spremullo got off a point blank shot near the keeper, but Ubert knocked the ball away for the save.
At the 60th minute, Natasha Douglas made a breakaway after getting the pass past the UAlbany back line. One-on-one with the keeper, she scored on the right side to tie the game up at 1-1.
Later in the 68th minute, a high-arc pass from Caitlin Smallfield found Douglas on the near side of the box. Douglas looped a shot over the keeper into the net, giving Hartford a 2-1 lead.
UAlbany protected against an Elise Galipo shot as her attempt was blocked, but in the 79th minute, Spremullo found room in the box after getting a headed ball from Aikens and earned the goal past Ubert to make it 3-1 Hartford.
The Great Danes tried to counter quickly as they got two shots off in the 79th minute, but neither hit their mark. UAlbany did not get another shot off and fell to the Hawks 3-1.
Paltsios earned her first goal of the season in the game. With an assist, Olafsdottir now is tied for the team lead in points with four.
For Hartford, Douglas earned her fourth and fifth goals of the year, while Smallfield finished with her second.
UAlbany will hit the road for their next two America East games, taking on New Hampshire on Thursday, October 3rd at 3:30 p.m.
