Parker’s Five Goals Lead No. 18/17 Women’s Lacrosse Past Vermont 15-7
BURLINGTON, VT.- No. 18/17 University at Albany women’s lacrosse (10-1, 2-0 AE) earned its 10th win of the season with a 15-7 victory at Vermont (10-3, 1-1 AE) on Saturday afternoon. Senior Ariana Parker led the Great Danes with five goals.
The Purple & Gold got off to a quick start in the first half. Parker forced a turnover after a clear by the Catamounts, and got the ball back to score her first goal of the game.
On the ensuing possession for Vermont, Anna Berman made a save on a free position shot to send the Great Danes the other way. Allie Phelan kept UAlbany’s momentum going on a goal to make the score 2-0 with seven minutes gone in the first half.
After losing the first three draw controls, UAlbany won the next three and took a 4-1 lead. Maureen Keggins and Phelan both scored unassisted before the Catamounts called timeout with 16 minutes left in the half.
Following the teams trading yellow cards, Katherine Sweeney converted man-down for UAlbany on an assist from Phelan to make the score 5-1. The Catamounts scored 12 seconds later on the won draw.
Parker fired unassisted for her third goal of the game minutes later, but Vermont cut the deficit to three again and head coach John Battaglino called timeout for UAlbany.
Both teams went scoreless for the next six minutes, until Parker tallied two goals in a span of one minute and thirty seconds to make the score 8-3. Keggins and Phelan found the back of the cage again before the end of the half. Senior defender Meghan Haney recorded her fourth career point on the assist to Keggins.
The Purple & Gold won five straight draws and scored five consecutive goals to open the second half. Rachel Bowles scored her first goal of the game to open the half, followed by goals from Sweeney, Parker, Sarah Martin and Phelan. Bowles concluded scoring for UAlbany on an unassisted tally with 19 minutes left.
Kathleen Lennon won a season-high nine draw controls against the Catamounts. Berman took the win in the cage with seven saves.
With the win, UAlbany has now reached the 10-win mark for the fifth consecutive year. The Great Danes are sitting at 2-0 atop the America East standings.
UAlbany (10-1, 2-0 AE) returns to John Fallon Field for a critical league match-up against No. 15/15 Stony Brook (9-2, 1-0 AE) on Saturday, April 12 at noon.
