ALBANY, N.Y. - For the second time in three years and fourth time since 2008, University at Albany is the America East field hockey champion. The top-seeded Great Danes got two goals and an assist from the conference’s midfielder of the year, Paula Heuser, en route to a 5-0 win over second-seeded New Hampshire in the conference title game Saturday afternoon at Albany’s Alumni Turf Field.
The Great Danes, the 14th-ranked team in the nation, scored twice in the first half and three times in the second to win their fourth league crown in seven years. Albany will learn its NCAA draw Sunday at 10 p.m. during the selection show, which will be broadcast live at NCAA.com
Heuser earned the championship’s Most Outstanding Player honor after tallying four goals and an assist in Albany’s two games and setting a new tournament record with nine points.
Albany (18-2), winner of 12-straight games, wasted no time getting on the board. Pahila Arnold, a second-team all-conference and all-rookie selection, deflected home a blast from Heuser that came off a penalty corner in the fifth minute. Anna Bottino, the America East Rookie of the Year, put Albany up 2-0 just 6:53 later by sending home a rebound.
The Great Danes, who dominated the first half, putting eight shots on UNH’s cage and racking up five penalty corners, took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
Heuser, who missed over 10 minutes of the first half with an injury, put her team up 3-0 in five minutes into the second half off a give and go with Amy Nicklin, an America East All-Championship selection. She scored again just 2:04 later, tying an America East single-season record with her 29th goal.
Echo Bretz capped off the Albany scoring in the 55th minute by finishing off a feed from Laura Page.
UNH, which finishes its season 9-12, had chances in the second half, just Albany’s Maxi Primus, the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year, made four of her six stops in the second half. The Great Danes outshot the Wildcats, 15-9, for the game.
Heuser, whose four tournament goals tied a tournament record, and Nicklin were joined as an All-Championship selection by Primus and Jaclyn Hibbs, New Hampshire’s Meg Flatley, Kellie Joyce and Lindsey Nerbonne, Fairfield's Caitlin Bennett and Felicitas Heinen and Maine's Annabelle Hamilton and Becca Paradee.
Albany's Taylor Schwoyer became the first first hockey Elite 18 award winner. The award is given to a student-athlete in each sport who exemplifies excellence both in their sport and in the classroom. Schwoyer is a sophomore with a 3.97 GPA while majoring in biology.
2014 America East Field Hockey Championship
All games at University at Albany’s Alumni Turf Field, Albany, N.Y.
Semifinals - Thursday, November 6
#1 Albany 2, #4 Fairfield 1
#2 New Hampshire 2, #3 Maine 5
Final - Saturday, November 8
Albany 5, New Hampshire 0
All-Championship Team
Paula Heuser, Albany (Most Outstanding Player)
Jaclyn Hibbs, Albany
Amy Nicklin, Albany
Maxi Primus, Albany
Meg Flatley, New Hampshire
Kellie Joyce, New Hampshire
Lindsey Nerbonne, New Hampshire
Caitlin Bennett, Fairfield
Felicitas Heinen, Fairfield
Annabelle Hamilton, Maine
Becca Paradee, Maine