Courtesy: UAlbany AthleticsAlbany, N.Y.- UAlbany Field Hockey and head coach Phil Sykes announces its 2012 schedule, which includes nine home games. The Great Danes will face off against four teams that made the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
"We are very excited about the upcoming season", said eight-year head coach Phil Sykes on the 2012 schedule. "Our schedule will be very challenging as always and the America East will be as competitive as ever. Making it back to the NCAA tournament is our ultimate goal. I know our girls are eager to get back there."
UAlbany begins the season on the road against Big East foe Rutgers (Aug. 24) and Colonial Athletic Association opponent Delaware (Aug. 26). Then host Hofstra (Aug. 31) for its season-opener at Varsity Field at 3 pm.
The Great Danes then host two teams that went to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Michigan and UConn, on the weekend of September 7-9. UConn and Michigan will play each other in between their games against UAlbany on September 8.
Then on the weekend of September 14-16, UAlbany travels to Iowa City, Iowa to play Missouri State (Sept. 14) then Iowa (Sept. 16). The Great Danes return on September 22 to play the defending Patriot League Champion Lafayette.
UAlbany then heads to Amherst, Mass. to play UMass on September 23 at Garber Field. Both teams faced off on October 6, 2011, when the game was decided after two overtimes in a penalty shootout, in which the Great Danes came out on top 2-0.
The Great Danes open a two-game home stand the weekend of September 28-30, with the first game opening up conference play against Boston U. (Sept. 28) then ending with Louisville (Sept. 30).
Following their two-game home stand, UAlbany heads up to Durham, N.H. to play against defending America East Conference Champion New Hampshire on October 5. The Great Danes defeated UNH in the 2011 regular-season finale 3-2, only to fall to the Wildcats in the America East Semifinals 1-0.
UAlbany then plays its next three of four games at Varsity Field against Columbia (Oct. 7), Lehigh (Oct. 14) and Maine (Oct. 20) with a road trip squeezed in against conference foe Fairfield on October 12.
The Great Danes end their season with the final two games on the road with the first game against the defending Ivy League Champion Yale on October 21. UAlbany wraps up its season on October 27 in Burlington, Vt. against Vermont.
