UAlbany Returns to Full Strength and It Shows
Imagine chicken parmesan without the chicken. Shrimp cocktail without the shrimp. PB&J without the peanut butter. Or the jelly for that matter. You get the idea. Remove the main ingredient and things just aren't the same. That was the UAlbany men's lacrosse team the last few games; missing its main ingredient.
Connor Fields was a Teewaraton Award finalist last season and was approaching a pace this year that would see him eclipse Lyle Thompson's program record for most career points. A sprained MCL put not only the personal achievements on hold, but also the Great Danes' pursuit of a perfect season. UAlbany was able to sustain momentarily, but a road at UMBC is when the need for Fields' offensive prowess and creativity reared its head most prominently. It is UAlbany's only loss this season, but a bye week followed and now all is right again for the #1 team in the country.
Not only Fields, but fellow attacker Justin Reh, returned to the lineup Friday night and the Danes looked like a team that never missed a beat. With yet another matchup against a top 5 opponent on the horizon, at #4 Yale Sunday, UAlbany wasn't overlooking its opponent and what followed was an 18-7 beatdown of Binghamton.
UAlbany is back to full strength and the timing couldn't be better. Yale would be another big W on the Danes' NCAA Tournament resume as they pursue the top overall seed and we are only two weeks from Selection Sunday.