Albany enjoyed a moment almost two decades in the making as a program last week, its long-awaited first home game against Syracuse.

The Great Danes had made 19 trips to the Carrier Dome over the last 18 years and lost their only previous visit from the Orange in 2020 thanks to the pandemic shortened-season. As a result, nothing was going to spoil the event for Albany’s vibrant fan base.

Not a soggy night that 3,688 fans braved anyway. And, in the wake of the Great Danes’ 14-12 defeat of Syracuse, certainly not the letdown of losing 16-7 two days later at UMBC.

“The turnaround was tough, and I knew that,” coach Scott Marr said. “It was the only time we could arrange for the game to be played against Syracuse. We’ve been playing them since 2004, and we made sure we kept the game. It just so happened to be on a conference weekend.”

In a sense, the three-day stretch was an apt illustration of just where Albany sits in this iteration of its reconstruction cycle. The Great Danes (4-6, 2-2 America East) aren’t where they were when they reached the NCAA semifinals for the first time in 2018. But Marr thinks they’re on the right track.

They were already going to be young, losing five of their top seven goal-scorers from a solid 8-5 team that dropped three games to eventual America East champion Vermont. Then they played the first three games this season without Corey Yunker, who has produced 14 goals and seven assists in seven contests since his return from injury.

It’s also been an odd year in the cage for the Great Danes. Tommy Heller started the first seven games before suffering an injury late in a March 26 defeat of Stony Brook. Fortuitously, redshirt senior Will Ramos was declared eligible around the same time and has started the last two games. Marr said Heller has yet to return to practice.

Albany, committed as ever to all-around midfielders, has three freshmen playing two-way roles among its top six middies. The group includes starter Jacob Moran, while reserves Thomas Decker and Adam Thistlethwaite combined for five goals in the defeat of Syracuse.

“We’re not playing with fifth-year seniors or anything like that,” Marr said. “We’re playing with freshmen and sophomores and third-year guys who haven’t really had a full experience in college yet. I bring this whole team back for another two years, and we had some good pieces down the road, too. We’re very excited about the future and where we can go with this team.”

The future could arrive more quickly. Marr is pleased with how some tweaks have improved the Great Danes’ defense, and he sees the sort of ball movement Albany has been known for at various times during his tenure.

The Great Danes have enjoyed two extended stretches as a program, reaching four out of five NCAA tournaments from 2003-07, and then six in a row from 2013-18. It’s possible the foundation for another strong run is already in place.

For things to come to fruition this year, Albany will need to handle itself in its final two league games — at home against Vermont on Saturday, then at NJIT next week.

“Vermont has had our number the last couple years, and we just want to let them know we’re still around and we’re going to be here and we’re going to fight on Saturday to get a W,” Marr said. “And it’s the same thing with NJIT and close out our conference play next Friday and hopefully we’re in the [league] tournament.”