ALBANY – Katy Weeks scored with just under four minutes to play off a pass from Taylor Standiford, as the senior midfielder tied Cari Hill's school record for career assists (33), but the Big Red couldn't find the equalizer as No. 10 UAlbany escaped with a 2-1 victory this evening at Alumni Turf.
 
"Albany came out really fast," said head coach Donna Hornibrook. "They're ball speed was outstanding in the opening minutes, but we weathered the storm and then I thought we defended really well. We certainly had our chances. And Albany's second defensive save on Krysten Mayers shot on the penalty corner was really outstanding. Give credit to that girl because that's a goal nine times out of ten. "
 
The game was fairly evenly contested with the Great Danes holding the 10-6 advantage in shots and the slim 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Penalty corners were tied at 5-5.
 
In just her third career start, freshman goalie Mackenzie Gagliardi made three saves, while UAlbany's Maxi Primus made two. Each goalie also benefited from defensive saves by their backs with Fiori Van Rijswijk and Jackyn Hibbs each registering one for the Great Danes and Luisa Schulte-Bockum stopping one for the Big Red.  
 
Schulte-Bockum entered the week ranked third in the nation, and now owns the outright school record for defensive saves in a season, with eight on the year.
 
UAlbany carried the play in the opening five minutes of the contest, but the tide began to turn when Krysten Mayers drew a penalty corner in the sixth minute of action with a great individual effort. Cornell had a nice chance to get on the board but Hibbs earned a defensive save off an Isabel Siergiej shot to keep the game scoreless.
 
In the 14th minute, Cornell earned another penalty corner and once again, the Great Danes earned a defensive save, this time from Van Rijswijk, who stole a sure Mayer's goal and kept the game tied at 0-0.
 
Albany's first penalty corner also featured a defensive save, this time coming from Schulte-Bockum.
 
With time running down in the half, the home team got on the board with a goal from Rachel Billig that bounced through traffic and beat Gagliardi to the far post to make it 1-0 at the intermission.
 
UAlbany then converted a penalty corner goal to go up, 2-0, in the 54th minute on a direct shot by Paula Heuser, with the assists credited to Laura Page and Van Rijswijk.
 
Cornell called a time out with just under 10 minutes to play and made some critical adjustments that led to more offensive chances, leading to the Big Red's lone goal.
 
The tally was set up by Standiford, who carried in from the right side and ripped a pass into the circle, finding Weeks in the center. Weeks then turned lifted a shot into the top of the goal to make it a 2-1 contest.
 
The Big Red will play its final home games of the season this weekend and honor its seniors – Katie Garrity, Marisa Siergiej, Taylor Standiford, and Elizabeth Schaeffler – when it welcomes Brown and Lehigh to Marsha Dodson Field. Cornell will face the Bears on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 11:30 a.m., before taking on the Mountain Hawks on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m.