by STONY BROOK, N.Y. – In another back and forth battle on Long Island, the #15/11 UAlbany men’s lacrosse team again pulled out a victory over RV/RV Stony Brook, winning 17-15 off 12 points from Lyle Thompson (Onondaga Nation).
After losing its four-goal lead to enter the fourth quarter tied at 13, UAlbany (3-1, 1-0 AE) scored twice during a man-up minute. Stony Brook (5-2, 0-1 AE) twice pulled to within one, but goals by Seth Oakes kept UAlbany ahead for good in the fourth quarter.
Lyle Thompson finished with 10 assists, a new single game program record, and two goals. His 12 points is the second-highest single game total in UAlbany history, just behind Miles Thompson’s 14-point day at Stony Brook on April 27th, 2013. Lyle Thompson now stands with 304 points in his career, the top mark in UAlbany history and tied for eighth in NCAA Division I history.
Connor Fields scored four goals, a career-high, adding an assist for five points. Oakes scored four goals,John Maloney got three points off two goals and an assist and Matt Garziano netted two goals, each in the second quarter. Blaze Riorden got the victory in goal, finishing with six saves.
For Stony Brook, Mike Rooney ended with five goals and four assists for nine points. Brody Eastwood scored four goals while Chris Hughes had two goals.
UAlbany got off to a quick start with Fields scoring off the faceoff from Thompson. Two minutes later,Matthew Bertrams added an unassisted goal on a run to the cage. Stony Brook scored in quick fashion after that goal, then UAlbany countered with a goal from Tim Cox 50 seconds later. Stony Brook went ahead with three-straight goals from Eastwood, with the first two coming in a span of 33 seconds. The Iroquois connection got UAlbany back in front with Thompson assisting Oakes for a score then netting a shot of his own 50 seconds later. UAlbany led 5-4 after the first quarter.
The Great Danes continued the run into the second period, with Thompson finding Garziano twice for goals in the quarter’s opening 91 seconds. After Matt Schultz scored for Stony Brook, the UAlbany attack corps connected again with Thompson assisting goals in a row to Fields. Each side exchanged a goal before the end of the period as UAlbany led 10-6 at the half.
Oakes added another goal 50 seconds into the third quarter as UAlbany stood with a five goal lead at 11-6. Rooney scored twice in a period of 43 seconds to cut UAlbany’s lead to three. Thompson for UAlbany, Chris Hughes for Stony Brook and Maloney for UAlbany scored in succession to put UAlbany back up by four. Causing problems for UAlbany on the ride, Stony Brook scored four in a row, capped by a Rooney goal with 17 seconds left in the period, to tie the game at 13-13 going into the fourth.
On a clear attempt, a Stony Brook penalty put UAlbany in an unreleasable man-up situation for one minute. UAlbany took advantage of it, seeing Bennett Drake and Maloney each scoring close range to make it a two-goal lead. Stony Brook won the next faceoff and scored with Alex Corpolongo. UAlbany got the goal back from a long range shot from Oakes from Thompson. Stony Brook scored man-up from Hughes, then UAlbany responded with a Oakes blazing low shot for the goal to go back up two with 5:39 left. With about four minutes left, the UAlbany defense defended again a one-minute man-down situation, blocking two shots and forcing another wide. Adam Osika raised his stick and knocked down a Stony Brook pass to force a turnover. UAlbany cleared and did not relinquish control the rest of the way to earn the 17-15 victory.
The Great Danes will head to Buffalo for a 4 p.m. Tuesday game against Canisius. The game will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
