Thursday, May 3, 2012

UAlbany Men’s Lacrosse Advances To America East Title Game With 19-8 Win Over UMBC

Baltimore, Md. - The duo of Thompson brothers Miles and Lyle combined for 10 goals, scoring five each, while America East Conference Player of the Year Joe Resetarits netted four to lead UAlbany to a 19-8 win over UMBC in men's lacrosse semifinal action on Wednesday evening at UMBC Stadium. The Great Danes advance to the America East title game, where they will take on Stony Brook on Saturday at 3 p.m.
UMBC struck first, less than 30 seconds into play, as Scott Jones scored at 14:33. UAlbany responded at 13:07, getting a goal from Resetarits, assisted by Miles Thompson. Thompson followed that with an unassisted goal less than a minute later, as he found the back of the net while falling in front of UMBC goalkeeper Adam Cohen. Matt Gregoire tied the game at 2-2, as he picked up a groundball in front of the net after goalkeeper Max Huber made a save, making a move and finding the back of the net. Resetarits put the Great Danes back on top at 9:55 with his second goal of the game, taking an unassisted shot into the right side of the net. Thompson added his second tally to double up the score on the Retrievers, giving the Great Danes a 4-2 advantage with 6:30 left to play in the first quarter.

Zach Linkus closed the gap to 4-3 for the Retrievers, taking a shot from about 15 yards out and getting the ball past Huber. Ty Thompson took an assist from Rocky Bonitatibus with just three seconds left to play to give the Great Danes a 5-3 lead after one quarter.

Resetarits completed his 27th career hat trick at 10:09 of the second quarter, taking an assist from Bonitatibus on a man-up situation. Ty Thompson and Miles Thompson connected for a goal at 8:39 to give the Great Danes a 7-3 advantage. Resetarits extended the UAlbany lead with an unassisted tally at 11:10, fighting off a defender to get the angle on Cohen for the score. Bonitatibus fed Lyle Thompson with just over two minutes to play in the half, giving the Great Danes a six-goal advantage. Lyle also netted the final goal of the half, with an unassisted shot with three seconds to play, giving UAlbany a 10-3 lead at the half.

Gregoire started the second half much like the first, getting the first goal of the third quarter less than a minute into play. Will Fuller pushed the Great Dane lead back to seven, 11-4, taking an assist from Ty Thompson at 8:46. UAlbany continued to roll, getting an unassisted goal from Matt Bertrams on a clear from the defensive end after a UMBC turnover. The Retrievers ended their drought at 11:16, getting a goal from Scott Hopmann on a man-up opportunity. Lyle Thompson netted an open-net goal with just over 30 seconds to play in the third, as Cohen came out on a double team, setting the score at 13-5 at the end of three.

Lyle Thompson followed with a second open-net score to start the fourth, while Resetarits netted his fifth of the game off the ensuing faceoff, giving UAlbany a 10-goal advantage, 15-5, with 13:08 left to play. On an extra-man opportunity, Jones found the back of the net around Huber, with just over 12 minutes on the clock. Miles Thompson added his fourth of the game with 9:22 on the clock to put UAlbany back on top by 10. Lyle netted his fifth of the game at 8:18, giving the Great Danes a 17-7 advantage, and prompting a goalkeeper change by the Retrievers. Miles continued the Thompson show, scoring UAlbany's 18th goal of the game at 6:17, while Dwayne Stewart netted an unassisted tally with just over five minutes to play.

Linkus ended the UMBC drought at 4:43, giving UMBC its seventh goal, while Hopmann took an assist from Joe Lustgarten on a man-up opportunity exactly a minute later. However, UAlbany was able to hold on, as time wound down to seal up the victory and championship title game berth.

UMBC (5-8) outshot the Great Danes, 39-29, but 23 of UAlbany's shots were on the goal. UAlbany (5-10) held a slight 29-25 advantage in ground balls, led by faceoff specialist Keith Olson with nine, as he went 11-of-17 in the faceoff circle. Huber played all 60 minutes in goal for the Great Danes, making 11 saves. Cohen played all but 8:18 in the net for the Retrievers, stopping four shots.

Press release & photo provided by UAlbanyAthletics Sports Information

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