Albany, NY – Four different Albany players tallied goals and senior goalie Maxi Primus made six saves as the ninth-ranked Great Danes of Albany defeated the Hofstra Pride, 4-0 at Tom and Mary Casey Field in the season-opening non-conference contest for both teams.
The Great Danes scored three times in the first half with three different players putting the ball in the goal. Hofstra had the first scoring opportunity just under five minutes into the game as All-American senior
Claudia Marin Samper fired a shot that Albany senior goalie Maxi Primus stopped
Just two minutes later Albany freshman Emily Fraser gave the Great Danes a 1-0 lead by carrying the ball along the end line, going around the Pride defense and poking the ball past Hofstra goalie
Carys Swan.
Albany boosted their lead to 2-0 at the 14:49 mark off a penalty corner. Junior Kelsey Briddell inserted the corner to sophomore Frederike Helmke near the top of the circle on the left side. The second-year player from Berlin, Germany fired a bullet past Swan for a 2-0 lead.
Hofstra had two more scoring opportunities in the half as Marin Samper and all-region senior
Stella Schoen each had shots that Primus saved for the Great Danes.
But before the half would end junior Anna Bottino gave the Great Danes a 3-0 lead just 1:13 before the intermission. Bottino carried the ball on the left side of the circle, split two Hofstra defenders and fired another bullet past Swan. Albany outshot the Pride, 9-3 in the first 35 minutes.
Both goalies, Primus for Albany and senior
Lauren Saltus, who replaced Swan at halftime, for Hofstra were busy in the second half. Each team had seven shots in the period with Saltus making four saves and Primus making three.
The Pride may have had their best scoring opportunity in the game in the 50
th minute with Primus being in the middle of the play. Hofstra's
Claudia Marin Samper fired a shot at the Albany goalie who made the save. But Marin Samper picked up the rebound and smacked a shot that Helmke made a defensive save on to preserve the shutout.
The Great Danes would add their fourth goal of the contest in the 64
th minute as Briddell would zigzag inside the circle and go around a sprawled Saltus for the goal.
Hofstra will return to action on Sunday, August 28 when they travel to Hamilton, New York to face the Raiders of Colgate University at Tyler's Field. Game time is noon.
