The Stony Brook women’s soccer team faced the Albany Great Danes on Sunday, April 4 at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium in the state’s capital. While Stony Brook entered the match having won four in a row and either winning or drawing eight conference contests in a row, the team fell 1-0 for its first America East defeat this season.
The Seawolves had a chance to clinch a berth in the postseason with a win. Stony Brook was 4-0 in conference play, the lone unbeaten team in America East Division B. The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.
Stony Brook started the first half ready to win and had possession for the majority of the time. The Seawolves were able to get a few shots on target, but it was not enough to get onto the scoreboard. The Seawolves had four shots while Albany only had three in the first half of the game.
Albany junior forward Jasmine Colbert was able to convert a goal off a header, knocking the ball just above Stony Brook sophomore goalkeeper Emerson Richmond Burke’s hand in the 30th minute of the game. Junior midfielder Jada Colbert was able to cross the ball from a distance after dribbling past a Seawolves defender.
In the second half of the game, the tempo balanced out with both teams going back and forth. In the 55th minute, the Seawolves’ sophomore defender Catherine von Drigalski received a yellow card after fouling an Albany attacker on a counterattack. The Seawolves were looking to level the game but just fell short at the decisive moments.
Stony Brook could only attempt one shot on goal for the entire match. In comparison, Albany attempted seven. Richmond Burke recorded six saves, but it was not enough to overcome the Seawolves’ inability to score.
The Seawolves have one more match scheduled for the regular season, a crucial contest on Friday, April 9 at 2 p.m. against the New Hampshire Wildcats. The results in Durham, New Hampshire will decide Stony Brook’s postseason fate, with the team needing at least a draw to secure one of Division B’s two spots.