FINAL SCORE: Albany 16, Vermont 8
ALBANY, N.Y. – Vermont matched Albany goal-for-goal in the first half, but the Cats could not stop a strong offensive attack by the Great Danes in the second half and suffered a 16-8 America East defeat on Wednesday afternoon. Vermont falls to 1-12 on the year and 0-3 in league play. Albany improves to 6-4 overall and 2-1 in conference action.
 
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The Catamounts used a balanced scoring attack as five players recorded a goal. Alison Bolt led UVM with a hat trick, scooped up three ground balls, and caused three turnovers. Meredith Moore scored two goals and handed out one of Vermont's five assists on the day. Jenna Janes contributed a goal and dished out two assists. Elena McWright and Bailey Saneman rounded out UVM's scoring with one goal each. Catherine Green made 10 saves in goal.
 
The Great Danes were guided by three hat tricks from Sarah Martin, Kenzie Neal, and Sam Tortana. Martin scored a game-high five goals and Neal followed with four goals. The tandem combined for three assists and seven ground balls. Tortana matched Neal with four goals and won a pair of draw controls. Erin Leghart picked up the win after recording six saves.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Martin helped the Great Danes jump on the scoreboard first with a goal in the opening minute. Two minutes later, Saneman notched her fifth goal of the season and evened the score at 1-1 after Brynne Yarranton was credited with the assist.
 
Albany grabbed the lead once again with an unassisted goal from Tortora at the 20:54 mark. Less than a minute later, the Catamounts marched down the field and countered as Moore found the back of the net.
 
As the clock ticked past the midway point of the first half, the Great Danes took a 3-2 lead but the green and gold responded once again after Janes came through with her 22nd score of the year.
 
The Great Danes stretched their lead to 5-3 after Tortora and Martin each scored their second goal of the contest. McWright helped Vermont inch closer after netting UVM's final goal of the period. Albany added an insurance goal with 11 seconds left in the half for a 6-4 lead at the break.
 
Albany's momentum rolled into the second half as the Great Danes opened the period with three goals in a five-minute stretch. Bolt and Moore tried to keep the Catamounts in the game with four combined goals in the final period but the Great Danes used a 10-goal second half performance to earn the conference victory.
 
Vermont returns to Virtue Field on Friday, April 14 to host America East preseason favorite and fourth-ranked Stony Brook at 4 p.m. Singe game tickets are available at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday. Free live video is available in HD at AmericaEast.TV.
 
The Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the 2017 women's lacrosse season.