By Vince Gasparini | May 6, 2024
The University at Albany women’s lacrosse team fell to Binghamton University 12-11 in the America East Championship on Sunday. The Bearcats came into the game looking for revenge against a Great Danes team that they were 0-25 against all-time before Sunday’s win, and who beat them in last year’s conference championship.
The University at Albany women’s lacrosse team.
Photo Credit: Brent Warzocha / UAlbany Athletics
“It was a great battle,” UAlbany head coach Katie Thomson said. “We knew it was gonna be back and forth, a game of runs, and I’m really proud of our team for how they fought for every possession.”
While the Great Danes led 5-2 after the first quarter, the Bearcats asserted their dominance in the second and third quarters, outscoring the defending champions 9-3. Despite a last-ditch effort in the fourth quarter that saw Ava Poupard score two goals and Megan Dinnen net one, Binghamton held out for the win.
In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, UAlbany’s Allie Maloney drove towards the goal, seeking one last shot in an attempt to tie the game. However, Binghamton’s Angelina Suau caused Maloney to fumble the ball, securing the win for the Bearcats.
“We really fought to the end, and that’s all I can ask of my teammates,” Dineen said. “I’m really proud of everyone.”
Dineen, Poupard, and Grace McCauley led the Great Danes offensively, with each netting a hat trick. Jaedyn Frink and Bryar Hogg each contributed a goal in the effort. Hogg also notched two assists, along with two from Mikaela Mooney, and one from Emma Weaver.
One notable player who was sidelined for most of the game with a lower-body injury was UAlbany’s senior midfielder Katie Pascale. Pascale, who scored 37 goals across 16 games this season, played only in the first quarter before exiting the game.
“She just did an amazing job giving her all,” Thomson said of Pascale. “She’s a huge presence, whether she's on the field or off the field seeing her vision and giving some coaching tips to the players.”
A four-goal day from Binghamton’s Emma Blloshmi spearheaded the effort for the Bearcats, who also benefited from a hat trick off the stick of Kristen Scheidel. Goaltender Sofia Salgado recorded nine saves.
“We kind of knew that maybe the rest of the conference and a lot of the media outlets weren’t so much betting on us,” Salgado said. “We’ve been putting our heads down all season, we’ve been putting in the work, and our team has changed and adapted to a lot of hardship this season.”
As for Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen, she has all the pride in the world for her team.
“There was a commitment to the ultimate goal: to be here today with a different outcome than last year,” Allen said. “I appreciate the players that were in the position of walking away last year without a championship trophy to continue staying the course, grinding, putting in the work, and believing every single day that we could do this.”
While the Great Danes’ season did not come to the end they were hoping for, Poupard speaks highly of this year’s team.
“We really just love each other,” Poupard said. “We’ve gone through a lot this year, and just the way we rallied around each other was really positive.”
As the Bearcats look onto the NCAA Tournament, the Great Danes finish their season with a 5-1 conference record and an overall record of 8-10.
“I’m sad that it was our last collective moment on the field,” Thomson said. “These players and people will be in my life forever just because of the people that they are and, again, [I’m] just so grateful.”