ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Katie Pascale rewrote the record books to power top-seed UAlbany women’s lacrosse over four-seed New Hampshire in the America East semifinal.

Key Stats

  • Katie Pascale scored seven goals and added five assists while winning 14 draws
  • Sarah Falk scored six goals
  • Shonly Wallace and Grace McCauley each scored twice
  • UAlbany outshot New Hampshire 36-19
  • UAlbany took 28 shots on goal to New Hampshire’s 15
  • UAlbany won 23 of 33 draws

Head Coach Katie Thomson: “This is a great moment for our program and our team.  We’re really proud of our execution today and our mindset overall.  It was a great team win.  So many players contributed all week from preparing the team to that in-game experience, so it’s a full team effort.  We’re looking forward to enjoying this and looking forward to our next game.”

How it Happened

  • For the second-straight season, the University at Albany women’s lacrosse team earned the one-seed and hosting privileges for the America East Tournament.  The Great Danes won their final three games of the regular season to lock up their first outright regular-season title since 2011.  The opponent in the semifinal was four-seed New Hampshire, who UAlbany played in its most recent home game, and who clinched a spot in the Tournament on the final day of the regular season by winning a three-way tiebreaker with UMBC and Bryant.
  • Sarah Falk scored each of UAlbany’s first four goals, personally putting together a 4-0 run to start the game for the Great Danes.  Katie Pascale assisted on Falk’s first two goals, and Bryar Hogg assisted on her third.  New Hampshire did not score until 3:09 left on the clock in the first quarter, when Katie Taranto found Olivia O’Connor to put the Wildcats on the board.
  • Freshman goalkeeper Grace Cincebox turned away two dangerous opportunities for New Hampshire in the first five minutes, keeping the Wildcats off the board early and allowing UAlbany to build its big early lead.  Cincebox finished the day with five saves.
  • UAlbany scored each of the next four goals to close the first quarter and open the second, with Pascale contributing to each, scoring two of the four and assisting on the other two.  With 13:27 left in the second quarter, Pascale had already scored six total points.
  • The Wildcats scored back-to-back to end UAlbany’s second 4-0 run to close within five, 8-3, before Pascale scored her third goal of the day with 9:10 remaining in the half.  New Hampshire scored once more before Falk, Shonly Wallace, and Pascale, UAlbany’s three leading scorers, scored three-straight in the final 3:24 to close the first half with UAlbany up 12-4.
  • Pascale had scored eight total points in the first half, just two points shy of her single-game career high, and three points shy of the single-game program record.  Falk had netted five goals in the first half.  Collectively, UAlbany had outshot the Wildcats 22-8 in the first 30 minutes, and won 14 of 17 draws.
  • New Hampshire scored within the first 52 seconds to start the second half, before Wallace and Allie Maloney scored back-to-back to extend UAlbany’s lead to two.  After New Hampshire’s sixth goal, Falk scored her sixth with 5:03 left in the third to keep UAlbany ahead by nine.
  • New Hampshire scored twice in 1:55 of game time to end the third and start the fourth quarters, closing withing 15-8, before back-to-back unassisted goals just 50 seconds apart from Pascale to go up 17-8.  The Wildcats scored with 11:49 remaining to stay within eight.
  • Pascale scored her seventh and final goal of the day with 10:15 left in the fourth, kicking off a three-goal run for the Great Danes and give the team an 11-goal lead their biggest of the day.  New Hampshire scored one final goal with 2:57 remaining, to bring the final score to 20-10.
  • Pascale finished the game with 12 total points, behind seven goals and five assists.  Falk finished with six goals.  UAlbany outshot New Hampshire by 17 and outdrew the Wildcats by 13.

Game Notes

  • With her third assist in today’s game, Katie Pascale surpassed the program’s Division I-era career record for assists, 101, originally held by Sam Tortora.
  • Pascale’s 12 points represent a Division I-era single-game program record, as well as a single-game America East Tournament record.
  • Pascale also tied the single-game America East Tournament record with seven goals.
  • UAlbany scored 15 or more goals in a game for the 10th time this season.
  • Pascale’s 14 draw controls are tied for the second-most in a single game in Division I-era program history.
  • Pascale has moved into second place in Division I-era program history in career points.

Next: UAlbany plays two-seed Binghamton for the America East title on Sunday.  The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.