ALBANY, N.Y. -
For the first time since 2009, a pair of ranked teams will play for the America East title as #17/16 Stony Brook and #7 Albany each won their semifinal contests of the America East Championship Thursday in front of 2,226 fans at Albany's Bob Ford Field. The second-seeded Seawolves scored five-straight goals bridging the third and fourth quarters en route to a 16-13 win over third-seeded Vermont and the top-seeded Great Danes also used a dominant third quarter to beat fourth-seeded Hartford, 15-6.Albany and Stony Brook will decide the 2015 league title on Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. at Bob Ford Field. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.America East Men's Lacrosse Championship Semifinals#2 Stony Brook 16, #3 Vermont 13 - Box Score
- Stony Brook (13-4) outscored Vermont (6-10), 11-3, over a 25-minute stretch in the second and third quarters on its way to advancing to the championship game for the first time since 2012.
- The title game appearance will be Stony Brook's fifth in the last seven years and seventh all-time.
- Mike Rooney, a first-team all-conference attacker, tallied a game-high nine points on five goals and four assists.
- After John Everett gave Vermont a 5-3 lead 3:50 into the second quarter, Stony Brook tallied five of the next seven scores to take a 9-7 lead into halftime.
- The Seawolves took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Catamounts 6-1 in the frame and led 14-8 heading into the fourth quarter.
- Vermont scored five of the game's last six goals with the outcome already in hand.
- Stony Brook dominated the faceoff x, winning 22-of-34 draws.
- The Seawolves held a 52-30 edge in ground balls.
- The win was Stony Brook's 13th of the season, tying its program record set in 2010.
- All-Conference attackers Cam Milligan (3 goals, 3 assists) and Ian MacKay (4 goals, 1 assist) combined for 11 points for the Catamounts, who were making their first tournament appearance since 2010.
#1 Albany 15, #4 Hartford 6 -
Box Score
- Albany (14-2), the top scoring team in the country, used its defense to advance to its fourth straight championship game, holding Hartford to just six goals en route to a 15-6 win.
- The title game appearance will be Albany's 12th in the 14 years it's been an America East member.
- The Great Danes extended their win streak against America East foes to 21.
- Three-time America East Player of the Year Lyle Thompson tallied nine points on five goals and four assists to lead the Great Danes.
- Hartford (7-8) slowed down the pace early on and evened the score 4-4 with 12:20 left in the second quarter on Kevin O'Shea's second tally.
- The Great Danes took control from there however, scoring nine of the game's next 10 goals to take a 13-5 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
- Thompson, who eclipsed the 100-point mark for the third-straight year, scored four times in the run and assisted on two other goals.
- The Great Danes won 14-of-24 faceoffs led by Cason Liles' 12 wins in 15 draws.
- America East Rookie of the Year Connor Fields had four points (3 goals, 1 assist).
- Justin Huggins led Hartford with three goals.
- Ryan Vanderford, an America East All-Rookie choice, made 17 saves in between the pipes.
This will be the 12th time in the last 14 years at Albany and Stony Brook meet in the America East tournament. The winner will advance to the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, where America East teams have won 10 games all-time, four of them since 2007, including Albany last year.