UAlbany, Air Force Advance with NCAA Tournament Opening-Round Wins

In a Capital Region clash that set an NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament opening-round attendance record, America East champion UAlbany defeated MAAC champion Siena 11-9 on Wednesday.

A dominant first quarter was the difference. The Great Danes scored the first three goals and pushed the lead to four before the Saints chipped away. Siena pulled within one in the third quarter, but pair of man-up tallies 11 seconds apart gave UAlbany the breathing room it needed.

Silas Richmond, the America East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Great Danes with two goals and three assists. Ryan Doherty had a hat trick.

Conor Hufnagel led the Saints with three goals in the loss. Pratt Reynolds scored twice, setting a Siena record with his 169th career goal.

The announced attendance at Casey Stadium was 3,527, shattering the previous opening-round record of 2,134. The UAlbany Spirit Band performed throughout the game and afterward, drowning out a heartfelt exchange between head coaches Scott Marr and Liam Gleason. Gleason played for the Great Danes and coached with Marr before taking the reins at Siena in 2018. Both coaching staffs are replete with former UAlbany stars.

The Great Danes, who have won seven straight games after starting the season 3-8, will play at top-seeded Cornell in a round of 16 game Sunday. It’s a rematch after the Big Red defeated UAlbany 18-11 back on April 1, the Great Danes’  last loss. “We have nothing to lose,” Marr said on ESPN+.

They were one of two teams to advance Wednesday.

ASUN champion Air Force continued its magical run, riding a five-goal performance by Caelan Driggs to a 14-9 road win over Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris in the other opening-round game.

Also winners of seven straight, the Falcons will come back east Sunday to face second-seeded Maryland.