Great Danes Rally Late for Dramatic Draw Against Stony Brook
ALBANY, N.Y. — Down two goals with 10 minutes left, UAlbany refused to fold.
The Great Danes stormed back with a furious late surge to earn a 2-2 draw against Stony Brook on Wednesday afternoon at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, turning what looked like a routine Seawolves win into a statement of resilience.
UAlbany moves to 2-4-1 on the season, while Stony Brook stands at 3-0-4.
A Scoreless Grind, Then a Shock
The opening half belonged to UAlbany in everything but the one category that matters.
Sydney Kofton set the tone early, unleashing the Great Danes’ first effort in the 5th minute. UAlbany kept asking questions, piling up shots as the half wore on, but Stony Brook’s defense held firm. At the other end, goalkeeper Claudia Volino recorded her first save in the 24th minute to keep things level.
A minute later, UAlbany survived a major scare. Stony Brook’s Maya Corbett rattled the post in the 25th minute, her effort beating Volino but not the frame, as the ball bounced out and the score stayed locked at 0-0.
UAlbany fired off six more shots before the break, but with no breakthrough, the teams went into halftime still scoreless.
Stony Brook Strikes, Then Strikes Again
The deadlock finally snapped after the interval.
In the 56th minute, Stony Brook broke through to grab a 1-0 lead, punishing UAlbany despite the Great Danes’ control of the shot count. The blow stung. UAlbany pushed on, but the next goal again went the Seawolves’ way.
In the 71st minute, Stony Brook doubled the advantage, stretching the margin to 2-0 and putting UAlbany in a deep hole with less than 20 minutes to play.
Blannett and Levac Lead the Comeback
That’s when the match turned.
UAlbany’s pressure finally produced a lifeline in the 80th minute. Meredith Blannett, who had been active all afternoon, buried her first goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1 and jolt the Great Danes back into the contest. She finished with six shots, constantly driving play forward.
The equalizer didn’t take long.
Seven minutes later, in the 87th minute, Kiara Levac found the back of the net to make it 2-2, completing the comeback and flipping the energy inside Casey Stadium. Levac added four shots of her own, part of a relentless attacking front that refused to back off even at 2-0 down.
UAlbany kept pushing to the final whistle. The Great Danes earned a corner in the closing seconds, one last chance to turn one point into three, but the delivery didn’t yield a winner and the match ended level.
Numbers Tell the Story of Pressure
The stat sheet underlined UAlbany’s attacking intent.
The Great Danes outshot Stony Brook 30-16, hammering the Seawolves’ back line throughout the afternoon. Kofton led that charge with a remarkable 11 shots, including eight headers and five efforts on target, constantly challenging the visitors’ defense.
As a team, UAlbany put 11 shots on frame to Stony Brook’s four. The Seawolves made their chances count. The Great Danes made their response count.
What’s Next
UAlbany now carries the momentum of a late rally into its next test. The Great Danes travel to Orono, Maine, on Sunday, September 20, to face the Black Bears at Alumni Field, with kickoff set for 12:00 p.m.
If they bring the same volume of chances — and that same refusal to quit — what does this comeback say about where their season can go from here?
