UAlbany women’s lacrosse wins America East regular season title

DURHAM, N.H. ( NEWS10 ) — The UAlbany women’s lacrosse team locked up its second straight regular season title and home-field advantage in the America East playoffs for the third straight season with a nine-point victory over New Hampshire in the 2024 regular season finale Saturday afternoon.

Key Stats

• Mikaela Mooney scored five goals and added one assist
• Megan Dineen scored four goals with one assist
• Allie Maloney scored three goals with one assist
• Grace McCauley scored twice with two assists
• Bryar Hogg scored one goal with two assists
• Haley Phalines recorded a career-high 14 draws
• Zarreen Sorho scored her first career goal
• Grace Cincebox recorded 11 saves
• UAlbany outdrew New Hampshire 23-8
• UAlbany outscored New Hampshire 9-1 in the third quarter and 12-2 in the second half

Head Coach Katie Thomson : “We are so proud of the full team effort today against a tough New Hampshire team, and we are very excited for the opportunity to host the America East Tournament next weekend.  UNH started really strong, and I thought we did a great job of coming out of the half to execute in all areas.  The draw unit was exceptional, and Haley secured so many possessions for the offense to execute off of.  The defense limited their looks and pushed transition so hard.  We are so proud of this group on their regular-season title, and we will enjoy it and then prepare for the next chapter.”

How it Happened

• The University at Albany women’s lacrosse team visited New Hampshire for the 2024 regular-season finale on Saturday, closing out regular season play on the road after playing their last three at home.  The Great Danes had won each of their last two, over UMass Lowell and Le Moyne, and could lock up a regular-season title and home-field advantage in the America East Tournament with a victory over the Wildcats.
• New Hampshire was 2-11 on the season, and 0-5 against America East opponents, but had just played one of its best games of the year, taking Bryant to the wire before falling 16-15 on the road.  Despite winning each of the last 17 games over the Wildcats in the series, three of UAlbany’s last eight victories have come by just one goal.
• After a scoreless three-and-a-half minutes to start the game, New Hampshire struck first on a woman-up goal from Hannah McCarthy with 11:28 on the clock to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.  New Hampshire scored again after another nearly three-minute drought, on another woman-up chance, this time from Liv Dunn with 8:45 on the clock for a two-goal lead.
• Grace McCauley , appearing for the first time since April 6 at UMBC, broke through for the Great Danes with 7:33 on the clock to cut New Hampshire’s lead in half. Megan Dineen , fresh off of recording hat tricks in each of her last two games, next scored with 3:11 remaining in the first to tie the game at two.
• New Hampshire quickly rebounded to go up 3-2 just 40 seconds later, but Dineen responded in transition from Bryar Hogg , woman-down, with 21 seconds remaining to tie the game at three.
• The Wildcats’ Katie Taranto scored on a free-position attempt 31 seconds into the second quarter to retake the lead.  Nearly seven minutes elapsed before Taranto scored again to put the Wildcats up two.
• Dineen scored on a free-position to record her third hat trick in her last three games and cut the New Hampshire lead to one with 2:41 on the clock, but Izzy Holmes scored 17 seconds later for the Wildcats to maintain their advantage. Allie Maloney kept pace for the Great Danes, scoring just 26 seconds after Holmes.
• New Hampshire scored just over two minutes into the third quarter to go back up by two.  Maloney, however, scored 50 seconds later to cut the Wildcats lead to one once again.
• Maloney’s goal kicked off a series of nine-straight for the Great Danes to close the third quarter and take a commanding 15-8 lead.  Maloney scored three straight, the latter two of which initiated the run, followed by four-straight from Mikaela Mooney .  Dineen, Kloey Roos , and McCauley each scored in the final 3:19 of the quarter to give the Great Danes a seven-goal lead.
• Ava Poupard scored to start the fourth to extend UAlbany’s run to 10.  New Hampshire interrupted the Great Danes’ streak with 12:04 on the clock, following a scoreless stretch of 15:50 of game time.
• Mooney added her fifth goal of the day to cap off a career effort in her first season as a Great Dane with 4:25 on the clock.  UAlbany added one final goal, with 1:00 remaining from freshman Zareen Sorho, the first of her career.
• For the third-straight game, UAlbany allowed just two goals in the second half.  In their last three games, the Great Danes have allowed a total of 23 goals. Grace Cincebox finished Saturday’s game with 11 saves.
• The victory locks up home-field advantage for the Great Danes in the America East Tournament for the second straight season and at least a share of their second-straight regular-season title.  It will be the third-straight season in which UAlbany has hosted the tournament.
• Click HERE to purchase tickets for the 2024 America East Women’s Lacrosse Tournament.

Next: The America East Tournament begins May 3.  UAlbany will host four-seed UMass Lowell at 1:00 pm.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NEWS10 ABC.