Albany, N.Y. – Stacey Brown and Christine Grueniger each had three goals and one assist as UAlbany rallied in the final period for a 10-7 non-league win over Le Moyne on Sunday afternoon at John Fallon Field.

Le Moyne (2-3) constructed a 7-2 halftime advantage behind the play of Whitney Vecchio and Kylie Rosette, who combined for five goals in the opening thirty minutes. Vecchio, an All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference attacker, gave her team a 5-2 lead with 11:07 remaining before the intermission when she came from behind to catch Lisa McCarthy's feed and score from the left side. Rebekah Elmer and Vecchio later found the net one minute and 15 seconds apart in building a five-goal margin. Elmer and Vecchio each converted free-position opportunities.

In the second half, Grueniger tallied back-to-back goals to begin her team's run of eight unanswered. The sophomore attack scored from the top of crease off Brown's pass from the left and then hit an empty net in a free-position situation. Freshman Tee Ladouceur, who did all of her scoring in the final stanza with three goals, tied the contest at seven apiece with 10:44 remaining. She converted a drive by switching to her left hand and shooting across her body.

Kayla Best gave UAlbany (3-2) its first lead one minute and eight seconds later when she hauled in Grueniger's right-to-left crossing pass and netted her ninth goal of the season. Ladouceur gave the Great Danes a 9-7 cushion when she cut to the top of left crease to deposit Jane Bush's pass from behind the cage. Brown, who posted career-highs in goals and points, added an insurance tally with 4:36 to play.

"We were very flat and tentative and played not to make a mistake in the first half," said UAlbany coach Lindsey Hart, who saw both teams battle 20-plus mile-per-hour winds and a temperature that hovered in the low 30's. "We were able to dominate the draw, make shorter passes and shoot better in the second half. Le Moyne played with a lot of heart and we needed to raise our level."

Rosette, a senior attack, finished with two goals and one assist for the Dolphins, who won last year's MAAC title and earned an NCAA berth. Goalkeeper Samantha Falcone made 11 saves. UAlbany's Katie Neer stopped eight shots, including six in the final stanza.

2008-03-09