STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- Top-seeded Albany and third-seeded UMBC will decide the America East Men's Lacrosse title for the fifth time Saturday at 10 a.m. in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU and the WatchESPN App.
Championship Primer
• The two squads each overcame large deficits in the semifinals to reach the title game. UMBC trailed third-seeded Hartford by four with under six minutes left but scored six unanswered goals to post a 15-13 win. Albany fell behind fourth-seeded Stony Brook by six but rallied for a 17-15 win. Full semifinal recap
• Both teams enter the game playing well with UMBC having won four of its last five games and Albany having won six of its previous eight.
• This is the seventh all-time America East Championship meeting between the two teams with three of those coming in the title game (2006, 07, 08). Albany holds a 4-2 edge having won the last two meeting in the 2010 and 2012 semifinals. Albany also beat the Retrievers in the 2007 title game as well as the 2004 semifinals. UMBC beat Albany for the 2006 and 2008 crowns.
• Albany (12-4, 5-0 AE), the 12th-ranked team in the nation, was perfect in America East play this season, captured the league's regular-season title for the fifth time and beat national powerhouses Syracuse and Johns Hopkins.
• The Great Danes, who feature the nation's best offense scoring 15.9 points per game, are making their 10th America East title game appearance in 12 years in the league. They are 4-5 all-time in title games.
• UMBC (7-7, 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 are making their fifth America East title game appearance and are 3-1 in their previous three showings.
• Albany beat the UMBC 16-10 in the regular season, its second straight in the series. The Retrievers hold a 10-6 all-time edge, but four of those losses have come in the America East Championship.
• The game features the nation's top scorer in the league's Player of the Year, Lyle Thompson, who has 99 points (43 G, 56 A) and leads the nation in points per game. Thompson's 56 assists are the most in a season in league history while his 99 points are second to John Grant's 110 in 1999.
• America East Rookie of the Year Pat Young paces UMBC with 37 points on 31 goals and six assists.
• America East teams have won nine NCAA games, including three by three different programs (Albany, UMBC, Stony Brook) since 2007.