BOX SCORE
Albany, N.Y. – Junior Amélia Pereira's seventh goal of the season served as the only offense as the Hawks secured a first round bye and home field advantage in the semifinals of the upcoming America East Championship with a 1-1 tie against Albany on Thursday afternoon. The Hawks improve to 13-0-3 on the season and are now 6-0-1 in America East action.
The Hawks, looking to use the wind at their backs to their advantage in the first half, used a 15-minute span in the middle of the first half to test the Great Danes and freshman keeper Jacky Ubert. Fifth-year senior Mary Beth Hamilton provided the first test from outside the 18-yard box, which Ubert punched out diving to her left.
With just over 18 minutes left in the first half, junior Caitlin Alves broke up a Great Danes clear into the wind and dribbled through the defense into the box where she found herself with an open look just off straight but missed over the cross bar by about a yard. Alves would again test Ubert with just under 10 minutes remaining before the break as she took a shot from the edge of the box, which the rookie keeper again punched out of danger allowing her defense to clear it out.
The Great Danes broke a streak of more than 624 minutes without an opponent goal when Maggie DeVerna scored in the 38th minute, connecting with Shayla Bergeron. The Great Danes midfield intercepted a Hawks clear, which was sent to the outside where Bergeron collected and worked towards the end line. About two yards off the line, she sent a cross in front of the net where DeVerna was a step up on the Hawks defense and sent an easy tap over the line.
The Hawks put early pressure on the home team in the second half with just over 2:30 played when Hamilton sent a cross into the middle of the box where Pereira collected and fired a shot into the grasp of Ubert who collapsed on the shot, which came from six yards out.
The Great Danes had their best attempt at adding a tally in the 67th minute when Chelsea DeVerna had a hard blast on the mark but ricochet off the cross bar where Hawks defender Michele DeSanti was able to clear and reset the defense. The play began with a direct kick directly into a mob of players where DeVerna was able to put a cleat on it. The Great Danes would have another look just over eight minutes later when Chrissy Klepper exploded from long range right into the grasp of Hawks keeper Erin Quinlan.
With just under eight minutes on the clock the Hawks international experience paid off as Pereira scored an equalizer off a feed from Alves. Jessica Murphy began the play around the midfield line where she sent a long pass, against the wind, into the middle of the box where Alves collected and used a pass off her heel, finding Pereira who fired to the right of a diving Ubert.
UAlbany had its best look at the goal in the first overtime just over two minutes in as Bergeron used the wind to her advantage taking a shot from well outside the 18-yard box that arched down, looking to sneak under the cross bar but Quinlan made an impressive leaping save pulling the ball into her grasp.
Alves would provide the Hawks best look at a marker in the second overtime, just over 1:30 in when she gathered feed from Pereira inside the box, dribbled through two defenders and took a shot from about 10 yards out that Ubert secured as she dove to her left.
Hartford will close out the regular season with a battle against #16 Boston University on Sunday afternoon at Nickerson Field in Boston. The Hawks and Terriers will be playing to determine an America East regular season champion. A win for the Hawks would provide the honor in their favor, while a tie or win for the Terriers would result in a fifth straight
