Great Danes Advance to NCAA Softball Tournament
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 14, 2024) — UAlbany's softball team will compete in the Bryan-College Station Regional after winning the America East Championship on May 11. Meanwhile, the men's lacrosse team put up a great fight against defending national champion Notre Dame but ultimately fell, 14-9 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
In softball, the Great Danes head to Texas this weekend to play in the Bryan-College Station Regional, hosted by Texas A&M, starting Friday. Penn State and Texas State will be joining UAlbany and Texas A&M in College Station.
The Great Danes (33-12) will begin their action against Texas A&M, playing in the second game on Friday in the double-elimination event. The Aggies earned the tournament's 16th overall seed.
In her 30th season at the helm, head coach Chris Cannata led the Great Danes to their eighth America East Championship title. Going 3-0 in the tournament for the first time since 2011, UAlbany defeated UMass Lowell, 4-0, in the championship game on Saturday for their first title since 2018.
Graduate student Wendi Hammond was named the Most Outstanding Player following a 12-strikeout performance over the course of the tournament, including six in a complete-game shutout in the title game. She allowed just three hits and gave up no walks in the win.
Graduate students Morgan Petty and Maddi Petrella, and sophomore Sara Anderson joined Hammond on the America East All-Tournament team. Petty finished 3-for-3 against UMass Lowell. Anderson drove in two runs in the title game, while Petrella finished 5-for-9 through three games, collecting six RBIs and a home run.
Outfielder Caitlyn Mitros won the Elite-18 award, given to the student athlete with the highest GPA. Mitros, who is enrolled in the master's degree program in mental health counseling, has a 3.96 GPA.
Men's Lacrosse Falls to Notre Dame
Making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2018, the men's lacrosse team topped Sacred Heart in the opening round before falling to No. 1 seed and defending national champion Notre Dame, 14-9 on Sunday. The Great Danes gave the Irish all they could handle however, holding a 5-4 lead at halftime before ultimately bowing out of the tournament.
"I'm just so proud of my team, so proud of our entire season. From the day we started in August to this very last second, they never stopped playing hard," said UAlbany Coach Scott Marr. "For us to get to this level and play the defending National Champions and take them to the brink, they really had to work hard to beat us. So proud of my fifth-year seniors and my seniors for the leadership that they gave us. Truly proud of my staff and everybody who is involved with our program.
"To get to this point, I feel great about our future and where we are going," continued Marr. "This was a great experience for our team. Notre Dame has been first-class the whole way, congratulations to Coach Corrigan and his team. It was a hell of a run for us. It's been one of the best seasons I've had, coaching these young men. Sad to see it end, but so grateful for what they've done for our program."
