April 12, 2002

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook (7-3, 3-1) at Albany (4-6, 2-0), Saturday April 13, 1:00 p.m.

Last Time Out: Stony Brook posted a thrilling 10-9 comeback win over Villanova last Saturday. Trailing 8-4 in the third quarter, the Seawolves reeled off five straight goals to take a 9-8 lead capped by Kevin Pall's tally with over 10 minutes to go. Villanova tied it on a man-up situation at the 6:46 mark but Denis Scannell scored the game-winner with 1:11 on the clock to lift SB to the win.

About The Opponent: Albany comes into Saturday's game with a 4-6 mark, 2-0 in conference play, after dropping a 13-7 decision to Yale on Wednesday. Three of Albany's losses have come to Top 20 teams in UMass, Johns Hopkins and Yale. Luke Daquino leads the America East in assists per game at a 1.89 per game clip.

The Series: Stony Brook leads the series 4-1. The Seawolves posted an 18-8 win last season. The only loss came in 1989 when Albany earned a 10-9 decision.

Knockin' On Top 20's Door: Entering the week, Stony Brook fell just outside the Top 20 Poll conducted by the USILA coaches. The Seawolves, which have never been ranked in the Top 20, received the most votes of any team that did not rank among the Top 20 teams in the nation this week.

Pall's Haul: Kevin Pall just keeps putting up big numbers for the Seawolves. Leading all of Division I with 35 goals, Pall has scored in 40 straight contests, 34 of them being multiple-goal games. Averaging 3.50 goals per game, he is on pace to challenge his single-season record of 50 goals that he set last season.

The Drive For Five: Stony Brook seeks its fifth straight win in Saturday's matchup against Albany. The last time SB won five in a row took place in the 1991 season when it put together a six-game winning streak.

Wrapping Up: Stony Brook plays its fifth and final regular season conference game today. If the Seawolves are able to defeat Albany, they would finish with a 4-1 regular season record.

Conlon Can: Freshman Steve Conlon has scored five goals in his last two games. With SB trailing 3-0 against Villanova on Saturday, he scored back-to-back goals to trim the lead to 3-2. Conlon was knocked out of the game on his second goal but returned to action in the fourth quarter.

Quick Draw 'Wolves: Entering the week, Stony Brook ranked first in the nation in face-off winning percentage. The Seawolves have won 148 of 226 draws for a .655 winning percentage. The next closest team is Cornell which has won .611 percent of its face-offs.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad: Dennis Nafte and Denis Scannell have been the catalysts behind Stony Brook's success on face-offs. Nafte is the nation's top face-off man, winning 67.6 percent of his draws this season (75-111). Scannell is not far behind, ranking third in the country at 64.3 percent (77-115).

Crazy Eights: Goalie Steve Armsworthy is eighth in the nation in goals against average at 7.67 per game. Scannell ranks eighth in ground balls per game at 6.70 per contest.

A Call To Arms: Starting goalie Steve Armsworthy is 6-1 between the pipes this season for Stony Brook. The only loss came against No. 14 Navy in triple overtime.

News And Notes, Stony Brook was 2 for 3 in man-up situations last Saturday . . . Pall ranks third in the nation in goals per game . . . George LaFlare has scored a goal in three of the last four games