STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- The 2013 America East Men's Lacrosse Championship begins tonight at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium with a pair of intriguing semifinal matchups.
Second-seeded Hartford and third-seeded Hartford kick things off at 4:30 p.m. while top-seeded Albany faces fourth-seeded Stony Brook at 7 p.m. in the nightcap. All the action can be seen for free at AmericaEast.com starting at 4:20 p.m.
The two winners will advance to Saturday's championship game, which will air nationally on ESPNU and WatchESPN apps at 10 a.m.
Albany (11-4, 5-0 AE), the 12th-ranked team in the nation, was perfect in America East play this season and captured the league's regular-season title for the fifth time. The Great Danes feature the nation's best offense, scoring 15.8 points per game. Seeking its first league crown since 2007, Albany is led by the league's Player of the Year, Lyle Thompson, who has 93 points (40 G, 53 A) and leads the nation in points per game.
Hartford (7-6, 3-2 AE) will make its third-straight America East Championship appearance and seeks its second America East title in three years. Winners of three of four and five of their last seven, the Hawks had seven all-conference performers, including six first teamers led by attacker Kevin O'Shea and goalkeeper Frank Piechota.
UMBC (6-7, 3-2 AE) earned its 10th America East Championship bid in as many seasons in the league by going 3-2 in league play, two of those wins by one goal. The Retrievers, who have won three America East crowns but are looking for their first since 2009, have the America East Rookie of the Year on their team. Pat Young leads UMBC with 34 points, 18 of those coming in league play.
Stony Brook (7-8, 2-2 AE), the tournament host, will appear in its 12th America East Championship in as many seasons in the league. Winners of two of the last three conference titles, the Seawolves come in having lost four of its last five. Two-time first-team all-leaguer Jeff Tundo leads SBU after ranking second in the league with 58 points this season.
The Hartford-UMBC regular-season meeting was an instant classic. Garrett Dollard scored netted the game-tying goal with 11 seconds remaining in regulation and then delivered the game winner 54 seconds into overtime to lift the Hawks to a thrilling 15-14 victory over the Retrievers. Hartford overcame a three-goal fourth-quarter deficit to win. This is just the second time the two teams have met in the postseason. Hartford won the lone meeting in the 2011 semifinals.
Albany beat Stony Brook, 21-12, last Saturday in the two team's regular-season meeting. Miles Thompson set a single-game conference record by registering 14 points on five goals and nine assists. This will be the 10th time Albany and Stony Brook have met in the championship with the Great Danes holding a 5-4 edge. However, the Seawolves have won three of the last four meetings.
Tickets for the two semifinal contests can be purchased in advance through the Stony Brook ticket offices or at the gate tonight. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for youth and $2 for students of America East institutions with proper ID. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 631-632-WOLF (9653).
Fans who can not attend the games, visit Championship Central for live coverage links, including free live video streaming and live stats.