Great Danes Rally Late to Secure 2-2 Draw Against Stony Brook
ALBANY, N.Y. — Down two goals with 20 minutes to play, UAlbany refused to fold.
The Great Danes clawed back from a 2-0 deficit 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 frantic finish.
UAlbany moves to 2-4-1 on the season, while Stony Brook leaves at 3-0-4, both sides still unbeaten in conference play before league action begins.
A Scoreless Grind, Then a Shock
The opening half belonged to UAlbany in everything but the scoreboard.
Sydney Kofton fired the first warning shot in the 5th minute, setting the tone for a relentless afternoon. The Great Danes kept asking questions, piling up attempts from distance and in traffic, but Stony Brook held firm.
On the other end, goalkeeper Claudia Volino made her first save in the 24th minute. A minute later, UAlbany’s luck nearly ran out. Stony Brook’s Maya Corbett rattled the post in the 25th minute, her effort beating Volino but not the woodwork as the ball bounced out and the game stayed level.
UAlbany responded with a barrage, launching six more shots before halftime. The pressure was there. The finish was not. The sides went into the break locked at 0-0, but the stat sheet already hinted at the storm building in purple and gold.
Stony Brook Strikes First — and Second
The deadlock finally broke in the 56th minute.
Stony Brook capitalized to make it 1-0, punishing UAlbany for its wastefulness in front of goal. That strike flipped the mood. Suddenly the visitors looked sharper, more ruthless.
The Seawolves doubled their advantage in the 71st minute, stretching the lead to 2-0 and silencing the home crowd. After controlling much of the play, UAlbany stared at a harsh scoreline and less than 20 minutes to fix it.
They went for it.
Blannett and Levac Drag UAlbany Back
The comeback began in the 80th minute.
Meredith Blannett, dangerous all afternoon, finally broke through. She buried her first goal of the year to slice the deficit in half, 2-1, and ignite the Great Danes’ sideline. Blannett finished with six shots, a constant threat in the attacking third.
The goal changed everything. UAlbany surged forward. Stony Brook, suddenly under siege, dropped deeper and deeper.
Seven minutes later, the stadium erupted.
In the 87th minute, Kiara Levac found the equalizer, leveling the match at 2-2 and completing the Great Danes’ late charge. Levac finished with four shots and the moment of the match, turning a looming defeat into a statement of resilience.
UAlbany didn’t stop there. They chased a winner right to the final whistle.
Relentless Volume, Narrow Escape
The shot totals told the story of the afternoon.
UAlbany outshot Stony Brook 30-16, a staggering volume that reflected the home side’s attacking intent. The Great Danes put 11 shots on target; the Seawolves managed four. Kofton alone unleashed 11 attempts, including eight headers and five on frame, constantly battling in the air and in the box.
The last chance came in the dying seconds, when UAlbany earned a corner kick with the clock ticking down. One more ball swung in, one more scramble in front of goal, but no final touch. The whistle followed, and the comeback stopped just short of a win.
The 2-2 draw, though, felt nothing like a quiet split of the points. It felt like a team finding its edge.
What’s Next
UAlbany now turns to the road, heading to Orono, Maine, for a Sunday matchup with the Black Bears on September 20. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. at Alumni Field.
If the Great Danes carry this kind of fight into conference play, how many more two-goal deficits will really scare them?
