The No. 21 Albany field hockey team finished its second-half comeback by scoring on a penalty with only 26 seconds left, beating the Massachusetts field hockey team, 3-2.

The game was tied 2-2 with under a minute left on the clock, and as the 25th-ranked Minutewomen (4-6) defense was trying to clear the ball out of the circle, Albany junior midfielder Corrine McConville intercepted it and dribbled towards the UMass goal without a black and maroon jersey in sight.

UMass freshman goaltender Sam Carlino tripped McConville while she was making an attempt at a shot and the penalty stroke was awarded to the Great Danes. The penalty was buried in the top left corner.

Junior forward Lindsay Bowman said the penalty stroke to end the game was “devastating.”

The Minutewomen took an early lead, scoring in the 16:54 mark when Bowman tipped in a shot from junior midfielder Alexa Sikalis. UMass bolstered the lead soon after at the 21:02 mark to extend its lead to 2-0.

The Great Danes scored next at the 22:17 minute mark and after a second half with limited scoring opportunities for both teams, Albany netted the tying goal at the 63:41 mark.

Throughout the game, the referees awarded seven cards to both teams combined. UMass coach Carla Tagliente said that the referees were attempting to limit the level of ferocity from both teams.

“It was a physical game both ways,” she said. “That was them trying to reel in and bring the game back under control.”

The Minutewomen will be back in action on Sept. 30 when they play Maine at Garber Field.

UMass dominates UVM at Garber

According to Tagliente, defeating Vermont, 10-1, at Garber Field on Friday was exactly what the doctor ordered for the team’s skid, which had reached a four-game losing streak prior to the contest.

“We have had some struggles as of late and I think it was great for them to come out today and put 10 goals on the board,” Tagliente said.

Three different Minutewomen finished the game with two goals apiece in a match that saw 26 shots from UMass sticks.

The Minutewomen implemented a press during the 10-1 onslaught and it seemed to pay dividends in getting the team more scoring opportunities. Senior forward Nicole Cordero said that her team practiced the press throughout the week prior to the game.

“It is one of the things we have been trying to work on,” Cordero said. “After the game against BU, we really tried to play not so defensive and just go for it and go for as many shots as we could.”

The Catamonts only have three seniors and Tagliente said that their inexperience benefitted her team.

“In a game like this when things start to go awry, if you don’t have strong senior leadership to pull the team together, it can make things a bit difficult,” Tagliente said.

The 10 goals the Minutewomen scored were the most since a match in 2009 against Saint Louis.

Matt Levine can be reached at [email protected].