Kyle Greene, Contributing Writer

The Bison squared off against No. 12 University of Albany Great Danes on Sept. 11 at Graham Field. They were able to send the game into overtime after trailing 2-1 in the final minutes of the game. Brittany Willwerth ’20 scored the game-winning goal less than three minutes into overtime.

Thanks to a goal scored by Willwerth early on, the Orange and Blue held a 1-0 lead until 1:22 before the conclusion of the first half. The Great Danes appeared to be in control of the game with two goals until Nicole Rupnik ’19 was able to score with five minutes left in regulation time. This was Rupnik’s first goal of the season, made especially remarkable by the high pressure circumstances.

“We knew we [would] still [have] a chance if we just kept pressing forward. Everyone really came together in the last few minutes in a total team effort that gave me an opening on the goal,” Rupnik said.

The game winner came from a combined effort by Amy Mucelli ’17, Marisa Morakis ’20, and Willwerth who continued to move the ball around by the goal long enough for opportunity to arise. Willwerth’s performance earned her Bison Athlete of the Week.

“Today’s game was a perfect example of a competitive team coming together and fighting until the very last minute,” Willwerth said.

After a loss to Penn State on Sept. 13, the Bison now stand at 2-3 on the season, undefeated on their home turf. Albany was the second nationally ranked opponent they’ve faced this season after No. 15 Princeton on Sept. 4. This is their first win against a nationally-ranked team since 2014. The Orange and Blue will play their first Patriot League game on Sept. 17 against Lehigh.