FINAL SCORE: #2 UAlbany 13, #1 Vermont 11
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Top-seeded Vermont (10-7, 5-1 AE) led 4-1 after the opening 15 minutes of action on Sunday afternoon during the America East Championship Game from Virtue Field, but it was two-seeded UAlbany (12-5, 5-1 AE) that walked away victorious, winning 13-11 to secure their second consecutive America East Women's Lacrosse Title, earning a trip to the Women's Lacrosse NCAA Tournament.
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
COACH'S QUOTE
"I'm so proud of this group. I thought we had a great start and fought till the end. Congrats to Albany, they are a tough opponent that is well coached. We had some mistakes that they capitalized on. I'm going to miss seeing my team every day. They were an absolute joy to coach. " – Head Coach
Sarah Dalton Graddock
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Catamounts opened scoring with 10:21 on the clock in the first frame when Lydia Doraz successfully executed on her free position attempt, scoring her 38th goal of the season to lift Vermont in front 1-0.
- UVM doubled the lead with 4:10 left in the first quarter, this time getting a free position goal from Jane Trauger, netting her 41st tally of the season pinning the top left corner, propelling the Catamounts in front 2-0.
- Karina Sethi and Caitlin Haggerty each scored for Vermont in the final four minutes of the opening frame as the Catamounts took a three-goal advantage into the second quarter, 4-1.
- A 3-1 scoring run by UAlbany pulled the Great Danes to within one goal at the 8:23 mark of the second quarter, but Trauger halted the Great Dane offensive push, collecting a pass from Ava Wilde in front of the net, sniping the bottom right corner for her second goal of the game to regain the two-goal Catamount lead, 6-4, with 7:03 remaining before halftime.
- The Great Danes responded with 3:41 on the clock in the second frame while being a woman-up, seeing Ravan Marsell feed Paisley Cook in front of the net who used a behind the back shot to secure her 35th tally of the season, bringing UAlbany back within one, down 6-5 in favor of Vermont.
- UAlbany knotted the game at 6-6 with 2:52 left before halftime when Cook fed Mya Carroll her 27th goal on the campaign while being a woman-up.
- The Great Danes opened the third quarter scoring back-to-back goals to gain a two-goal lead, but Trauger bounced back for the Catamounts with 5:44 on the clock, securing her hat trick goal, scoring unassisted to bring the Catamounts within one, 8-7, electrifying the Virtue Field crowd.
- Vermont tied the game just over a minute later thanks to Lindsay Lefebvre scoring her 16th goal of the season while being a woman-up, corralling a pass from Trauger and pinning the right side of the net as UVM knotted the score at 8-8 with 4:22 on the clock in the third frame.
- UAlbany's Marsell concluded scoring in the third quarter as the Catamounts entered the final frame of action down by one goal, 9-8.
- The Great Danes came out on fire in the fourth quarter, scoring four unanswered goals to take a 13-8 advantage with 9:03 remaining in regulation.
- The Catamounts created some offensive momentum over the next five minutes orchestrating three unanswered goals, seeing Ali Cabot, Doraz, and Trauger find the back of the net, but it was too little too late as UAlbany tamed any Vermont push for a comeback in the final four minutes, ultimately walking away with the 13-11 victory in the America East Championship Game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Trauger led a team high five points on a team high four goals and one assist while producing a team high five shots on goal. It's the fifth time this season Trauger scored four or more goals in the same game.
- Doraz notched three points on two goals and one assist while adding a team high five draw controls, one ground ball, and one caused turnover.
- Lindsay Lefebvre scored two goals on Sunday, her fifth multi-goal game of the season.
- Haggerty and Sethi each found the back of the net once against UAlbany.
- Cabot scored one goal to go along with a tied game high four ground balls.
- Sabine Godwin secured a tied game high four ground balls while recording a team high three caused turnovers.
- Ayla Shea made nine total saves against UAlbany on Sunday.
- UVM caused 10 turnovers to UAlbany's nine.
- Sabine Godwin, Maddie Erskine, and Lindsay Lefebvre landed on the America East All-Tournament team.
For news and updates about the Vermont women's lacrosse program, follow @UVMwlax on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
