April 24, 2012
Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. - Siena scored three consecutive goals in just 73 seconds in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as UAlbany held on for a 14-13 victory Tuesday night at John Fallon Field. Despite the loss, senior attackman Bryan Neufeld became the MAAC's all-time career leading scorer.
UAlbany (4-9) pushed its lead to 14-10 on a Will Stenberg goal with 3:33 remaining which seemed to be the final blow. But the Saints (9-4) won the ensuing faceoff and scored just 10 seconds later on a Chris Roth goal.
Once again, the Saints won the faceoff and Roth scored yet again to make it a 14-12 game with 3:03 remaining. After another Siena faceoff win and a penalty on UAlbany, Colin Clive found the back of the net and the Saints were in business, trailing 14-13 with 2:10 remaining.
But finally UAlbany won a faceoff and was able to milk the clock, holding on for the win and ending Siena's eight-game winning streak.
UAlbany has now won 15 of the last 16 meetings against the Saints, but the series has become much more competitive the past few years since both programs have ascended onto the national stage. The last four meetings have now been decided by a total of five goals.
Siena had raced out to an early 3-0 lead just over five minutes into the game. Bryan Neufeld assisted on the latter two tallies, in the process breaking the MAAC's all-time career scoring mark. Neufeld, who finished with three points, passes Marist's Paul Donohue '02 for the conference's all-time record which now stands at 231 points.
But UAlbany battled back, scoring four times in the next four minutes and the game was tied 4-4 after the first quarter. The Saints received goals early in the second from Roth and Patrick Daley to take a 6-4 lead with 12:15 remaining in the half and appeared to be regaining momentum.
But the Great Danes would score the next seven goals, holding the explosive Siena offense scoreless for nearly 24 minutes. Lyle Thompson scored three of the goals during the run and when his cousin Ty Thompson scored with 3:33 remaining in the third quarter, UAlbany had a seemingly insurmountable 11-6 lead.
Siena would finally stop the bleeding, but could never get within serious striking distance of until their final surge.
The Saints out-shot UAlbany 51-40 including a 17-7 edge in the fourth. Roth led the Saints, tying a career-high with five goals.
Freshman Casey Dowd added two goals, won 16-29 faceoffs and picked up 11 groundballs, while classmate Conor Prunty added four points in an equally impressive performance.
The Thompson's - brother's Lyle and Myles and cousin Ty - combined for nine points for the Great Danes. Joe Resetarits and Stenberg each added hat tricks with Resetarits leading UAlbany with five points.
The Saints will look to rebound Saturday when they close out regular season action with a 7 p.m. faceoff at Manhattan.
