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FINAL SCORE: No. 19 Albany 14, Vermont 13 (OT) | Box Score | CatamounTV Highlights
STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Junior Vanessa VanderZalm scored with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to bring Vermont even with 19^th-ranked Albany, 13-13, but Rachel Bowles responded with a tally for the Great Danes in overtime with 39 seconds left to lift Albany to a 14-13 victory over Vermont in the America East Semifinals Friday night at LaValle Stadium.
 
Albany improved to 13-4 overall on the year and earned a spot in the America East Championship game against Stony Brook on Sunday.
 
Vermont wrapped up the season at 11-7 overall and earned its third straight appearance in the conference playoffs, setting a new program record. The 11 victories are the second most for the Catamounts in a season in program history.
 
"Honestly, I think this is the best game we've played all season, we saved it for the most important time of the tournament. We've been working on putting a full 60-minute game together and tonight we did it. I couldn't be prouder of them and their effort … we played our hearts out," said Head Coach Jen Johnson after the game.
 
Senior Jessica Roach registered four tallies in the contest and ended the year with 61 goals total to set a new program record for most in a single season. The Scituate, Massachusetts native passed her former teammate Sydney Mas, who collected 60 goals just a season ago. Roach also broke the UVM record for most points in a season earlier this year.
 
The Catamounts battled back in the final minute of regulation with tallies from the team's top two scorers, Roach and VanderZalm. Roach netted her fourth goal of the game with 42 seconds left, before VanderZalm tied the game off a feed from Danielle Seifert just 26 seconds later to send the game into overtime.
 
Vermont and Albany battled back-and-forth in the contest as neither team lead by more than two scores after the 11:02 mark of the first half. UVM held the biggest lead of the contest midway through the first period after jumping ahead of the Great Danes by a 5-1 margin.
 
Danielle Seifert (4 g, 2 ast) and Vanessa VanderZalm (3 g, 3 ast) topped the Catamounts with six points apiece, and Roach chipped in with four goals. Marcie Marino added a goal and an assist, and Alex Bernier picked up one assist to round out the Catamount scoring.
 
Maureen Keggins (1 g, 5 ast) and Rachel Bowles (3 g, 2 ast) led the Albany attack with 11 points combined, while Dakotah Savitcheff, Sarah Martin and Katherine Sweeney each picked up multi-goal games.
 
Meg Hopkins posted her second-highest save total in a game this season (10 saves) in goal for the Catamounts. The Penn Yan, New York native rounded out her senior season with a career-high 11 victories.

Courtney Henderson stopped two shots in goal for Albany to earn the win.
 
Vermont opened the contest on a 5-1 run to take its biggest lead of the game at the 17:04 mark behind a pair of goals each from VanderZalm and Seifert.
 
Albany responded with five straight tallies in the ensuing eight minutes, including two from Martin, to take its first lead of the contest, 6-5.
 
Both teams scored a goal apiece in the final six-plus minutes, and Albany headed into the break with a 7-6 advantage.
 
The Catamounts held a 10-9 lead with 20:11 remaining in the game, before Albany scored three straight, including a pair from Savitcheff, to take a two-goal advantage, 12-10.
 
With Albany leading by two with under a minute remaining, Roach and VanderZalm tallied back-to-back scores to send the game into overtime.
 
Following a scoreless five-plus minutes of overtime, Bowles found the back with 39 seconds to left to put Albany up one. The Great Danes won the ensuing draw and were able to run out the clock to earn the 14-13 victory.
 
NOTES: UVM collected its first back-to-back double-digit win seasons in program history … Vanessa VanderZalm now has 203 draw controls in her career, which places her second all-time in program history … Jessica Roach set a new UVM program record for most games played (70), and Taylor Pedersen finishes her career third all-time in games played (68) ... Check back tomorrow for photos from the game.