Many expected the America East Championship game to be a walkover after the regular-season drubbing Albany suffered at the hands of Stony Brook.
But the Great Danes had prepared well for the top-seed Seawolves, and put up a strong resistance before eventually falling, 11-7, at LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook Saturday afternoon.
Its eighth-consecutive win earned Stony Brook an automatic bid to the NCAA national championship tournament, though the Seawolves (12-3) didn't need one thanks to their highest-ever national ranking.
The Seawolves came out firing as they usually do, with America East Player of the Year Kevin Crowley starting the scoring at the 8:37 mark of the first quarter.
His goal kicked off a parade of scoring as Stony Brook amassed a five-goal lead with five different players scoring in the first quarter. Junior Crowley, sophomore Tyler McCabe, senior Tom Compitello, sophomore Robbie Campbell and sophomore Jared LeVerne all beat the Albany goalkeeper to give the Seawolves a 5-0 lead after 15 minutes.
Crowley scored again 1:20 into the second quarter, but Albany struck back with 11:09 in the first half. The goal by Great Danes' freshman Dwayne Stewart was the first time Albany has scored on Stony Brook in more than a calendar year. The Great Danes last beat a Seawolves netminder on April 29, 2009, when the Stony Brook defeated Albany 18-12 in the America East semifinals. Playing time elapsed without Albany scoring totaled 83:20 on the game clock.
A mental error by senior goalkeeper Charlie Paar allowed the Great Danes their second goal. As Paar attempted to pass, an Albany player stuck out his stick and was gifted the ball at almost midfield. With a several-yard head start, the Great Dane was able to score easily.
Paar made 18 saves, two shy of a single-game championship record but enough to set a championship record for saves made in the tournament with 34.
Albany scored once more before junior Jordan McBride scored to bring the score to 7-3 Seawolves. The Great Danes cut the lead to three with 1:38 to go in the half, and the teams headed into halftime with the home team leading, 7-4.
The Great Danes won the third quarter, 2-1, sandwiching a McBride goal that broke the school record in career goals. It was McBride's 48th of the year.
More than a few were on the edge of their seats when Albany scored first in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to only one.
But the high-powered Stony Brook offense did what it has done all year: close out games. Compitello netted his second, charging from behind the goal and bouncing it past the Albany goalie.
Then nearly five minutes later, with Stony Brook enjoying the bulk of the possession in between, Crowley scored his third of the game.
Sophomore Kyle Belton iced it for the Seawolves with 1:53 to play in the game.
Stony Brook now awaits seeding in the NCAA national championship tournament. The selection show will be held on Sunday, May 9 and aired live at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
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