Miller Scores Career-High Six Goals in 20-16 America East Semi Loss to UAlbany

Thursday, May 2

Stony Brook, NY

1:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

10-7

University at Albany

11-6

New Hampshire

UAlbany

Photo by: Michelle Bronner

Miller Scores Career-High Six Goals in 20-16 America East Semi Loss to UAlbany

5/2/2019 7:56:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Devan Miller (Bristol, R.I.) scored a career-high six goals but the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team was upended 20-16 by the University at Albany in Thursday afternoon's America East semifinal game at Stony Brook University's LaValle Stadium.

Miller was also credited with an assist to finish with a personal-best seven points in her last game as a Wildcat. Rylee Leonard (Coventry, R.I.) matched her career high of four goals and Mickenzie Larivee (Amherst, N.H.) netted three goals.

Issy Torres (Elmhurst, Ill.), an All-Rookie Team selection, was credited with seven saves. Senior captain Elise Chandler (Hopkinton, N.H.), an All-Conference Second Team selection, finished with a team-high four ground balls and caused turnovers.

UAlbany was led offensively by Madison Conway (6g, 3a) and Sam Tortora (4g, 5a) with nine points apiece. Kyla Zapolski tallied three goals and three assists. Erin Leghart, who played the final 33 minutes, 15 seconds, was credited with five saves and the win. Starting goalie Georgia Schneidereith stopped three of 11 shots on goal and exited with UA trailing 8-6.

UNH, the No. 3 tourney seed with a 5-2 conference record, ends the season at 10-7 overall. UAlbany, the second seed with a 6-1 conference mark, improves to 11-6.

THE DIFFERENCE
* Trailing 9-6, UAlbany scored eight consecutive goals spanning the first and second halves to take a 14-6 lead.
* After UNH closed within 16-13 at 8:43, the Great Danes went on a 4-0 run to secure the win.

FIRST HALF
* UAlbany scored goals 56 seconds apart to quickly take a 2-0 lead at 28:36.
* Gabby Masseur (Nashua, N.H.) responded with a goal one minute later when she cut from the left wing to the middle of the fan and fired a sidearm shot into the net.
* The Great Danes had a quick reply 21 seconds later to reestablish a two-goal lead, 3-1, at 27:15.
* After an early flurry of goals, neither team scored for more than nine minutes until the designated home team extended the advantage to 4-1 at 17:49.
* UNH scored the next four goals to spark a 7-1 lead that gave the Wilcats an 8-5 lead.
* Miller finished a feed from Teagan Northrup (Longmeadow, Mass.) at 17:11, then set up Larivee's tally at 14:55 to lift the 'Cats within 4-3.
* On a free position from the right wing, Julia Neyland (Boxborough, Mass.) slipped a diagonal pass across the fan. Larivee advanced to the top of the goalie circle and deposited a high shot into the net for a tie score at 12:56.
* UAlbany called a timeout at 10:20 but UNH made a defensive stop and Leonard, who corralled the ground ball in the defensive zone, drove down the middle of the fan and placed a shot inside the left post for a 5-4 lead at 9:18.
* The Great Danes tied the game one minute later, but UNH responded with three consecutive goals to build a three-goal advantage.
* On a free position from the top of the fan, Leonard scored on a shot into the lower-left corner to give the 'Cats a 6-5 lead at 7:17.
* Miller struck again at 6:24 when she split a pair of defenders, dodged another and ripped a sidearm shot into the goal.
* From behind the net, Northrup slipped a pass to the right doorstep, where Catherine Sexton (Niskayuna, N.Y.) connected on a one-timer for an 8-5 lead at 5:32.
* UAlbany closed the half on a 3-1 run to pull within 9-8.
* Ally Alliegro was awarded a free position with one second on the clock, but Torres made the save to preserve UNH's lead heading into halftime.

SECOND HALF
* UAlbany scored five goals in a span of 3 minutes, 41 seconds to surge out to a 13-9 lead at 25:31.
* UNH called a timeout, but the Great Danes scored less than a minute later to extend the margin to five goals.
* Leonard's third goal of the game stopped the run and lifted the 'Cats within 14-10 at 21:25.
* The Great Danes netted goals at 19:05 and 18:22 to push the lead to six goals and prompt another UNH timeout.
* This time, New Hampshire responded with three consecutive goals.
* Sexton, positioned at the left doorstep, passed across the crease to Larivee, who scored into the open near net to advance the score to 16-11 at 17:05.
* Caroliine Hernon (Hampton, N.H.), on a free position from the top of the fan, scored on a low shot at 10:12.
* Leonard's shot low into the right corner lifted the 'Cats within 16-13 at 8:43.
* UAlbany called time out and scored a free-position goal at 7:13, then struck again at 5:02 and 4:14 to quell UNH's rally.
* The Great Danes extended the lead to 20-13 at 2:23.
* UNH called a timeout and ended the game scoring with three consecutive goals by Miller at 1:56, 35 seconds and 21 seconds.

UNH NOTEBOOK
* New Hampshire has a 36-37-1 record in postseason play.
* UNH has an 8-19 record in the America East Championships and that includes 7-13 in the semifinals.
* This marked UNH's first neutral-site game since May 2013, when UAlbany prevailed 13-6 at LaValle in an America East semi.
* Leonard, a Second Team honoree, extended her point streak to 16 games with her 15th multiple-point game of the year and 10th multiple goal effort.
* For the season, Leonard led the team in assists (22) and points (55); her 33 goals ranked third.
* Larivee, another Second Team selection, extended her goal streak to 10 games. She ranked second in goals (35) and fourth in points (42).
* Miller ends her career with a goal in seven consecutive games. Her 40 goals ranked second and 47 points was third.
* Hernon, a Second Team honoree, finished with a team-high four draw controls, one ground ball and one caused turnover. Hernon was the top 'Cat this season in ground balls (39), draw controls (56) and caused turnovers (23).
* Sexton, UNH's fifth member of the Second Team, tallied a goal and assist in her final game. She ranked second in both assists (20) and points (48), as well as fourth in goals (28).
* In addition to her goal, Masseur tallied three draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball.
* Taylor Dudek (Amherst, N.H.), the Wildcats' other All-Rookie honoree, was credited with two caused turnovers.
* The end of the 2019 season marked the end of UNH careers for six seniors: Chandler, Larivee, Miller, Northrup, Sexton and Jessica Lee (Southington, Conn.).
* Chandler finished the year with 31 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers to rank second in both stats.
* UNH's 10 wins are the most since the 2010 squad also finished 10-7.
* The Wildcats' 216 goals are the highest total since the 2009 team netted 247.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
UAlbany recorded the edge in shots (33-28), ground balls (15-13) and draw controls (21-16).
UNH committed fewer turnovers (11-14).

SERIES NOTEBOOK
UNH has an 11-14 lifetime record against UAlbany. The Great Danes have won 13 straight against the Wildcats and that includes three conference semifinal games.