Courtesy Vermont Sports Information
ALBANY, N.Y. – The Catamounts’ high scoring offense was tested on Friday night by the Albany Great Danes and could not rebound from three second-half goals in a 4-0 America East loss.
Vermont suffers its first conference loss of the season as the record drops to 9-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 in America East. Albany improves to 6-3-2 overall and 1-0-1 in league play.
“Albany was better than us tonight and beat us soundly in all areas. The most glaring and disappointing area we lost was in our ability to compete with them. Albany had much more determination and physicality and put us under pressure consistently and we didn’t respond,” head coach Jesse Cormier stated after the game.
Albany tallied the first goal of the game in the 14th minute. The Great Danes booted a clear from beyond midfield. UVM tried to clear the ball away, but a deflection landed right at the foot of Albany forward Afonso Pinheiro. The junior took two dribbles past the Vermont defense and lined a low shot into the back of the net.
UVM tried to counter two minutes later. Stefan Lamanna beat the Albany defense and tracked down a shot deflection in the corner. The senior bent a cross into the box to Brian Wright, but Wright’s touch was directly at Albany goalie Danny Vitiello (2 saves) for the stop.
With 10 minutes remaining in the half, the Catamounts set up the offense with a corner kick. Wright battled through a scrum in the front of the net, but could not generate a shot for the equalizer.
The Great Danes tried to add an insurance goal with four minutes remaining in the opening half, but Aron Runarrson (2 saves) made a diving save to keep it a one-goal game.
The second half belonged to Albany. The Great Danes scored twice in the first four minutes with goals coming from Nico Solabarrieta in the 47th minute and Carlos Clark in the 49th minute.
Pinheiro added his second goal of the night in the 72nd minute when he blooped a long shot into the net. UVM relief keeper Eric Venezia (1 save) made a valiant effort by getting a hand on the shot, but not enough to prevent Pinheiro’s seventh goal of the season.
Vermont stays on the road and visits 22nd-ranked UMass Lowell, the No. 1 team in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) East Region on Wednesday (Oct. 12) at 7 p.m. Free live video is available in HD via AmericaEast.TV.