STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Albany and Stony Brook will meet in the America East Women's Lacrosse title game for the fourth-straight season as the two rivals advanced with wins in the semifinals of the 2015 tournament on Friday night at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium. The top-seeded Seawolves outscored No. 4 UMBC, 12-2, in the second half en route to a, 16-5, win, while second-seeded Albany needed overtime to get past No. 3 Vermont, 14-13.
Stony Brook and Albany will decide the 2015 league title on Sunday, May 3 at noon at LaValle Stadium. The game will be available nationally on ESPN3.
America East Women's Lacrosse Championship Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 16, #4 UMBC 5 - Box Score
- After leading by only one at halftime, Stony Brook (17-1) outscored UMBC (8-9), 12-2 in the second half to advance to the America East title game for the fourth-straight season.
- Stony Brook has won five-straight conference tournament games and will look for its third-straight title on Sunday.
- Courtney Murphy, a first-team all-conference selection, scored six of her America East single-game tournament record seven goals in the second half to pace the Seawolves' offense.
- Caitlin Miller, who moved into the top-10 on the America East single-season draw control list in the game, gave UMBC its only lead of the game at 2-1 with 19:21 remaining in the first half.
- Stony Brook scored three of the final four goals of the first half, capped by Dorrien Van Dyke's second of the half with 5:24 left as the Seawolves took a, 4-3, lead into the locker room.
- The Seawolves took control in the second half, scoring the first four goals and dominating defensively by forcing 10 turnovers.
- UMBC cut the deficit to four on Carolyn Jamison's third of the game with 15:44 to go.
- Stony Brook shut the Retrievers out over the final 15:44, scoring the last seven goals with Murphy and America East Rookie of the Year Kylie Ohlmiller combining for six of those. Ohlmiller finished with a pair of goals and two assists.
- Second-Team All-Conference goalkeeper Katelyn Leahy made six saves between the pipes for Stony Brook. Alyssa Fleming led the team with three forced turnovers and tied for the team lead with three ground balls.
- All-Conference selection Amber Kupres did a little bit of everything for the Seawolves with one goal, three assists, three ground balls and a game-high five draw controls.
- Stony Brook had a 12-10 edge on draw controls, but 10-5 in the second half. The Seawolves also outshot UMBC, 20-7, in the second half.
- Jamison led UMBC with three goals while Kesley Major made six stops in net as the Retrievers were making their first tournament appearance since 2012.
- The No. 1 seed improved to 28-6 all-time in tournament play including 16-4 in th semifinals.
#2 Albany 14, #3 Vermont 13 (OT) -
Box Score
- Rachel Bowles scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with just over 30 seconds to go in overtime, sending Albany (14-3) to a, 14-13, win over Vermont (11-7) in the second women's lacrosse semifinal.
- Albany will make its fifth-straight appearance in the women's lacrosse title game and will face Stony Brook for the fourth straight.
- Bowles finished with three goals and two assists. Dakotah Savitcheff led the Great Danes with four goals, while Maureen Keggins had a team-high six points (1 goal, 5 assists).
- Danielle Seifert (4 goals, 2 assists) and Vanessa VanderZalm (3 goals, 3 assists) had six points apiece for the Catamounts while Jessica Roach added four goals as part of a potent offensive attack that finished with 11 goals on 20 shots.
- Vermont got out to a fast start, scoring five of the first six goals to take a, 5-1, lead at the 17:04 mark of the first half.
- Albany stormed back down the stretch, scoring six of the last seven goals, including a stretch of four goals in just 2:32, to take a, 7-6, lead into halftime.
- The second half was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than two goals. The second half featured five ties and four lead changes.
- Leading by one at 12-11, Albany stalled much of the clock beginning with almost six minutes left until Maureen Keggins gave the Great Danes a two-goal lead with 1:51 to go.
- Vermont tied the game in dramatic fashion, beginning with a goal by Roach with 42 seconds left and followed by a strike from VanderZalm with 16 seconds to go.
- Neither team scoring in the first half of OT.
- Albany controlled the possession during the second half of overtime until Bowles scored with 39 ticks remaining. The Great Danes won the ensuing draw control and ran the clock down to secure the win.