UMBC Shuts Out Wofford 2 - 0

By Curtis Schickner, UMBC '12.

The Retrievers played their second straight home game in front of another boisterous crowd at UMBC Soccer Stadium. Fans filled the bleachers and the adjacent hillside to watch the Retrievers shut down Wofford for their second win of the season.

UMBC controlled the ball for most of the first half, but struggled to put together good opportunities around the goal. It looked like the Retrievers and the Terriers would head to the half scoreless, but UMBC had other plans. Junior Andrew Bulls dribbled the ball past midfield and passed it up to senior Levi Houpeau just inside of the box. Levi danced around the Wofford goaltender and placed it into the net, giving UMBC a 1 – 0 lead going into halftime.

In the 79^th minute, UMBC rushed up the field from a clearing pass by senior Chris Williams to Andrew Bulls. Bulls, positioned just outside of the box along the left sideline, chipped the ball high over the defense and the goaltender, where junior Nirav Kadam was standing to chip in his second goal of the season. The Retrievers’ bench, and the fans, erupted as the ball was deflected into the net, providing UMBC with extra cushion in the last ten minutes against the surging Wofford offense.

Student-athletes gathered before the game for a tailgating event sponsored by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Fans were treated to a special national anthem performed on the trumpet by UMBC pole vaulter Martin Nevarez.

The UMBC Men’s soccer team returns to action on Wednesday at cross town rival Towson, at 4:00pm. The Retrievers return home on the 15^th against La Salle at 7:00pm. The game will be featured on UMBCretrievers.tv.

Hitting the Links: 9/4/2010

Have you ever heard of a Doppelganger? A Doppelganger is someone that looks just like you, but is not you. For some people, a Doppelganger is an evil twin or bad omen. Here at Hitting the Links though, the idea of a Doppelganger is exciting. That is because this evening, America East finds a Doppelganger within its schedule.

When Hartford and Boston U. kick off their men's soccer match at Alumni Stadium in West Hartford, Conn., it will be a non-conference meeting. It looks like a conference match. It might even feel like a conference match. It will not, however, count like a conference match. Is this the evil twin of America East conference play?

Not at all. Rather, it is a preview of coming attractions, a teaser for what is to come in October. How often does Labor Day weekend pit conference foes? Almost never. Enjoy this month-early gift from the schedulers at Hartford and Boston U.

In soccer action last night, both Binghamton squads were in action last night. The men wound up falling to No. 23 UNC Wilmington, 1-0, in their season-opening match in the West Virginia tournament. The women shutout Delaware State, 1-0. Both games were covered by the Binghamton Press Connects.

In coverage of other sports, and other seasons even, Stony Brook senior midfielder Kevin Crowley was interviewed for this month's issue of Inside Lacrosse. Last year, Crowley was the nation's leading scorer among midfielders, leading to a first-team All-America selection and the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Most Outstanding Player Award.

That will do it for this Saturday edition of the links...a front nine to start your weekend. Check in tomorrow for the back nine. In the meantime, you can always go to americaeast.com for all of your coverage of action in the conference.

P.S. AExtra would like to wish luck to the football teams from Stony Brook and New Hampshire as they open up their seasons today. The Seawolves take on South Florida while the Wildcats play host to Central Connecticut State.

Binghamton Women's Soccer Earn First Win of Season

The Binghamton University women’s soccer team is coming off of a successful 2009 campaign in which they made it to the finals of the America East tournament. The team knows what it takes to get to the championship game, and it is looking to go one step further in 2010 and win it all.

The road to the NCAA tournament got off to a rough start, though. The Bearcats took two tough road losses to begin the season. They were defeated by Fairfield 2-0 in their season-opener, and also fell to Sacred Heart 3-2 in their second game.

Things turned around for the team during its first home game. Binghamton notched its first win of the season, downing Delaware State 1-0 in front of 220 fans on a beautiful Friday night at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Bearcats dictated the pace throughout the entire match. They outshot the Hornets by a staggering 14 shots in the first half alone.

Freshman Kaitlyn Cook put the Bearcats on the board in the 6^th minute. She took a cross from sophomore Sarah Furminger, beat the defenders and put a shot past Hornets goalkeeper Alexandria Young, giving her team the early advantage. The goal was her second of the season, and Furminger was credited with her second assist. Cook finished with seven shots and three on target, both team highs.

In the 29^th minute, sophomore Kerry Sullivan went down with what appeared to be an injury to her left leg. She needed assistance to return to the sideline. Fellow sophomore Emily Pape came on as a substitute to replace her. Sullivan had scored her first collegiate goal in the Bearcats’ previous game at Sacred Heart.

In just the third game of her collegiate career, freshman goalkeeper Carrie Martin earned her first clean sheet. She was seldom tested, only having to make one save as the defense consistently shut down the Hornet attack. The Bearcats reeled off 22 shots (eight on goal) while the Hornets managed just one shot in each half.

“We talked about getting a shutout,” said Binghamton head coach Sarah McClellan. “We really take a lot of pride in our team defense. The back four did a great job. It was a goal of ours to get a shutout, it was a goal of ours to win the game and it was a goal of ours to develop our possession, and I think we did that tonight.”

There were a plethora of opportunities for the Bearcats to score more goals, but at the end of the day, as long as you have one more than the opponent, that’s all that matters. Delaware State had been outscored 21-2 in their first four games of the season, so this was a game the Bearcats needed to win. They’ll look to take the momentum from tonight’s win into Sunday’s home match against the University of Delaware. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.

BU Athletics Welcome Back BBQ Part I

Recently, Boston University Athletics hosted its fifth annual Welcome Back BBQ. There were over 500 student-athletes present, along with coaches and staff. Boston University athletics got a chance to interview a few people at the event. This interview is with Boston University Director of Athletics Mike Lynch. Check back throughout the holiday weekend for other interviews taken during the Welcome Back BBQ.

Weekend Action Highlighted by Participation in Tournaments

Fans of America East soccer will have no shortage of great action this Labor Day Weekend, as both the men's and women's schedules are now in full swing.

The Boston University women's team continues it's incredibly difficult non-conference schedule with games against Boston College and Monmouth. The Saturday afternoon match up with Boston College is certainly one of the most anticipated meetings of the upcoming season, especially with the fact that the Eagles enter the game ranked No. 6 in the polls. There is no doubt that "The Pack" will be there cheering on the Terriers and helping to create a passionate atmosphere at Nickerson Field.

Following the encounter with Boston College, the Terriers will head out on the road for the first time this season when they travel to West Long Branch, N.J. to take on Monmouth. Both Boston University and Monmouth are receiving votes in the latest NSCAA/HendrickCars.com National Rankings.

The Terriers aren't the only team scheduled to take on a highly-ranked opponent, as Stony Brook will be facing No.10 Maryland in College Park, Md. After a disappointing start to the season, the Seawolves will be looking to upset the Terrapins and generate some momentum for the rest of their non-conference schedule.

On the men's side, the weekend action is highlighted by numerous teams participating in highly-competitive tournaments.

Binghamton will kick off its season on Friday night with a match up against No.22 ranked UNC Wilmington in the West Virginia Tournament. The tournament only gets more difficult for the Bearcats on Sunday, as they face No.15 Monmouth in the tournament finale.


Stony Brook will be hoping to build off the momentum of its season-opening win against Hofstra with a strong performance in the Lafayette Puma Classic. The Seawolves open the tournament with a game against Lafayette on Friday night. After a day off on Saturday, the defending America East Conference Tournament Champions face Colgate.

The high-scoring UMBC Retrievers co-host the UMBC/Navy Kick-Off Tournament on Saturday. UMBC opened it's season with an impressive 5-3 victory over VMI and will be looking to do the same when they face Wofford.

Both Vermont and UNH will participate in the UNH Nike Fall Soccer Classic this weekend in Durham, N.H. The host Wildcats open the tournament on Saturday with a game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Vermont will be looking to build off the momentum from the season-opening win over No.13 Stanford when they play Central Connecticut St.on Saturday. Both teams return to the field on Labor Day, with Vermont facing Wisconsin-Milwaukee and New Hampshire going up against Central Connecticut St.

One other game that America East fans will definitely want to keep an eye on this weekend is the match up between Boston University and Hartford. The America East teams will face each other in a non-conference game at Al-Marzook Field on Saturday night.

Albany and Vermont set for community service events

Both the University at Albany and the University of Vermont are set to be involved with community service events in the coming weeks. 

Athletes from the University at Albany will be participating in the second annual Race For Hope, which is hosted by Capital Region Special Service. Here is some more information on the tremendous event from the Albany Times Union:

"Capital Region Special Surgery (CRSS) will host its second annual Race for Hope 5K road race on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. in Slingerlands.
UAlbany athletic director Lee McElroy will serve as the official race starter. UAlbany’s athletic teams, led by baseball, women’s basketball, cheerleaders and the dance team, are recruiting runners and volunteers along with the Division of Student Success.

The Race for Hope is dedicated to supporting those in our community affected by brain, head and neck cancers. All proceeds (including all registration/entry fees) from this year’s event will be shared by two local organizations: patient services at the St. Peter’s Hospital Cancer Care Center and Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region, Inc."

As part of its homecoming celebration on October 2, the University of Vermont will feature The Kevin Roberson 5k Memorial Run/Walk. Roberson was a tremendous student-athlete at UVM, who was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. Here is more information on the event from UVM Athletics:

"The Kevin Roberson 5K Memorial Run/Walk will take part on Saturday, October 2 as part of the University of Vermont homecoming celebration weekend. Now in its 17th year, the run is dedicated to the memory of former student-athlete Kevin Roberson.

Designed to be a casual, fun event for all ages, ability and running/walking prowess, all proceeds for the 5k run will go towards the Kevin Roberson Scholarship Fund, which assists eligible student-athletes in pursuit of their athletic and academic passions.

Roberson earned accolades as a standout all-conference student-athlete on the Vermont men's basketball team, later having his number retired and he was also inducted into the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame.""

AExtra would like to applaud everyone involved with these important events. Both of these events have a tremendous impact on those who participate and those who benefit from the money that is raised.

BU Men's Soccer vs. UMass Postgame Comments

Courtesy of Boston University Athletics

Hitting The Links: 9/3/2010

Good day, AExtra. Friday has arrived and with this Friday comes a long holiday weekend and the unofficial end of summer. What better way to wind down the summer than a solid round at The Links?

The Maine Black Bears field hockey team is off to a solid start, improving its record to 2-1 with a win over Michigan yesterday. The Black Bears were lifted by the late-game heroics of senior Kallie Aldus, a former "Miss Maine Field Hockey" performer in high school. For more on Aldus and the win, check out the Bangor Daily News.

The Vermont men's soccer team is still getting some press for its win over No. 13 Stanford Wednesday. The Burlington Free Press's "On Campus" blog, which focuses on Vermont athletics, posted some in-depth analysis of the game as well as some of the Catamount players. You can see how writer Alex Abrami sees the Cats fixing some of last year's troubles at "On Campus."

That was Wednesday. Yesterday afternoon, the UMBC Retrievers men's soccer team opened its season with a 5-3 win at home over VMI. But you already knew that, thanks to the contributions of Zach Seidel on AExtra. The Baltimore Sun also made note of the Retrievers' triumph. Four of the five Retriever goals were scored by newcomers to the team, including two by the coach's son, Pete Caringi III. Levi Houapeu, last year's national scoring leader, scored a goal and added an assist for three points. Another scoring title in your sights, Levi?

Binghamton is scheduled to get its men's soccer season going this afternoon. On the field, junior Ryan Walter is a key contributor to the team. However, bubearcats.com takes a look at Walter not only as a soccer player, but also as a scholar.

The cross country season also gets underway today. Binghamton is the coaches' favorite on the men's side while Stony Brook is the coaches' pick to win a fourth straight women's championship. Several America East cross country teams are ranked regionally as some of the top squads in the Northeast. The UMBC squads will be running in the Mount St. Mary's Dual 5K, while New Hampshire is set to run in the Bryant Invitational. Albany, Maine and Stony Brook start Saturday. The rest of the conference starts next weekend.

For all you iphone enthusiasts, New Hampshire has come out with a new iphone application. The app is all Wildcats all the time. This free download is definitely worthy of a download for all of you America East followers on the go.

Finally, AExtra would like to give a fond farewell to former Boston University athletic director John Simpson. Simpson served the Boston U. community for 17 years, hiring such coaches as Rick Pitino as well as current Boston U. coaches Carl Adams (wrestling) and Sally Strong (field hockey). We send our condolences to Boston University and the Simpson family.

That wraps up this round of The Links. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another round and have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

Binghamton Men's Soccer Media Day

This is great footage provided by Binghamton Athletics from the Binghamton men's soccer media day. There is a lot of talent returning for the Bearcats this season, and expectations are high around the program. Head coach Paul Marco will definitely have his team prepared for a difficult non-conference schedule.

New Hampshire Men's Soccer Preview

The UNH men's 2010 soccer season starts on Saturday, September 4, when the Wildcats host the 21st Annual UNH Nike Fall Soccer Classic tournament at Bremner Field in Durham. The Wildcats will open the tournament against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m., and will also compete against Central Connecticut State University on Monday, September 6.

New Hampshire relied heavily on their play in conference last year, as they finished the 2009 campaign 6-0-1 in America East, and were the regular season conference champions. Despite struggling out of conference, the Wildcats surmounted a 9-7-2 overall record, and eventually fell in the America East semifinals in Durham to UMBC, 1-0.

The bitter end to the 2009 season has the Wildcats hungry for redemption. Despite losing top goal scorer and America East All-Conference first team selection Chris Banks to graduation, many young players now have an opportunity to step into the spotlight as the go-to player on the team.

In the spring and summer preseason games, sophomore Jordan Thomas played the role of offensive standout. But with an experienced front line of forwards and midfielders, including Dylan George, Marcus Barr, Brad Hilton, Greg Brown, and Gustav Nilsson, there should be no shortage of offensive firepower for the Wildcats.

Returning in net for UNH are seniors Colin O'Donnell and Chris Devine. O'Donnell and Devine shared a considerable amount of time at goalkeeper last season, and will likely do the same again in 2010. However, O'Donnell will begin the season as the starter.

The following weekend, New Hampshire will travel to Burlington, Vt., to play in the Smith Barney Classic. The first non-tournament game for UNH will be played Wednesday, September 22, against Bryant University.

UMBC Burns by VMI In Front of Sun Soaked Crowd

By Zach Seidel

The UMBC Men’s Soccer team scored three goals in a dominating first half, and rolled to a 5-3 victory over VMI in front of a rowdy standing-room only crowd of 727 at a blazing hot UMBC Soccer Stadium.

UMBC controlled the ball from the opening kick as temperatures soared into the mid-90’s, despite a 4:30 kick-off. UMBC had a scoring opportunity in the first minute go awry, and continued to have near misses until senior Danny Shannon scored his first goal in a UMBC uniform. The transfer from American U. took a pass from last season’s NCAA leading scorer, senior Levi Houapeu, and lofted the ball into the upper-left corner in the 19^th minute to give the Retrievers a 1-0 lead.

Shannon returned the favor ten minutes later, as Houapeu took his feed and buried a low shot in the 29th minute that gave UMBC the 2-0 lead. The goal by Houapeu sent the packed crowd into a frenzy.Freshman Pete Caringi III, son of head coach Pete Carinigi Jr., scored his first collegiate goal off a pass from junior Kingsley Onwuka. The junior sent a 37^th minute cross-field pass to the younger Caringi, who banked a low shot off the left post, with the ball sneaking just inside the right post to make it 3-0 heading into the half.

The crowd, clad in their giveaway UMBC new logo t-shirts, was briefly quieted by an early second half VMI goal that cut the lead to 3-1. However, junior transfer Nirav Kadam added to his earlier assist with a tally of his own in the 58^th minute. Kadam took a cross from preseason All-American junior Andrew Bulls and put it to the left of the goalkeeper to restore the three-goal lead. 

After VMI cut the lead to 4-2, Caringi scored off a rebound caused by a hard Bulls' shot in the 82nd minute, which extended the lead to 5-2. VMI would add a late goal, but never really threatened, as the Retrievers held on for the 5-3 victory. UMBC returns to action this Saturday against Wofford at 4 p.m. at UMBC Soccer Stadium.
Video highlights and interviews are courtesy of UMBC Athletics. 

UMBC Men's Soccer Preview

Show Us Your Colors!

Tomorrow (Friday) is College Colors Day! Don't know what that is? Basically, it's a nation-wide initiative to celebrate the beginning of the 2010-11 year. Below are the "official" step-by-step instructions on how to participate:

"Step 1: Wear Apparel Representing your Favorite College on Friday, September 3, 2010.

That’s it. It’s that easy! Throw on your favorite college gear, and be a part of one of the most spirited holidays in America.

Whether it’s at the office or school, work or play, running errands or running the company - WEAR your colors wherever you are!"

Send us a photo of you wearing your school colors tomorrow to americaeast@gmail.com (please include your first name and town) and we'll post the best ones right here on AExtra.

Now, check out the video below to get in the spirit, and then show us your colors, America East!

Hitting the Links: 9/2/2010

Vermont men's soccer head coach, Jesse Cormier

No, America East does not include golf among its 20 sports. However, the conference does have a presence on the web. So while some may love to play the back nine or even a full 18, taking out your putter is not going to catch you up on the happenings in America East and its members. Plus, golf can get expensive and time consuming. Hitting the Links with AExtra is neither. Without further ado…

…In case you haven’t heard from Twitter, Facebook, americaeast.com, here on AExtra or wherever else you might get your America East soccer news, the Vermont men’s soccer team upset No. 13 Stanford Wednesday night. The win also got some ink in the VermontBurlington Free Press. Way to go UVM!

For more on that game and other America East action from the opening day for men’s soccer, check out the official from americaeast.com.

The Vermont game certainly created some buzz this morning, but the Catamounts are not the only game in town. The New Hampshire women's field hockey goalie, junior Katherine Nagengast, was featured today in The Boston Globe. Nagengast has helped the Wildcats jump out to a 2-0 start this season with 10 saves and a .833 save percentage.

Yes, fall sports are just underway, but perhaps basketball is more your thing. If that is the case, Maine Black Bears, both the men's and women's teams, just completed preseason road trips to Canada to play a number of Canadian college teams. The Hartford men also took a foreign tour, heading Down Under to square off against Australian pro teams.

For those teams without a passport, there is still plenty of coverage to go around as a number of America East men's basketball previews have been released recently. Slam Magazine, Rivals, Rush the Court and Hoop Vision have all thrown their two cents in about the 2010-2011 season.

There it is, a fitting 18 links...and one more for the pro shop.

Former Stony Brook baseball player Tom Koehler was named the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher, as he pitches for the Florida Marlins Double-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Suns.

Also, a quick "Good luck" to member universities Maine and Albany as they kickoff their football seasons tonight against each other in Orono. Check out Pete Warner's preview from this morning's Bangor Daily News for more on that matchup.

Until tomorrow, this is Hitting the Links.

Vermont Upsets No. 13 Stanford

After a dismal season in 2009, the UVM men's soccer team needed to get off on the right foot in the 2010 campaign in order to erase the doubt that hung over Centennial Field like a thick fog.

I would say beating No. 13 Stanford certainly did the trick.

Junior Nick O'Neill drilled home a header off a beautiful cross from senior Connor O'Brien in the 97th minute of overtime to lift the Catamounts to the improbable 2-1 season-opening win.

"It's a credit to them and the work they've put in throughout the year," UVM head coach Jesse Cormier said. "We've been waiting to get back on the field for months after enduring a disappointing season last year. Today was a breath of fresh air and we couldn't wait to get back and have a chance to prove ourselves."

Stanford took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute after a corner kick from Dominique Yahyavi somehow made it through a cluster of players in front of the net, and teammate Adam Jahn was there for the quick one-timer.

Stanford took that 1-0 lead into halftime, and the feeling from last seasonthat was so familiar to the Catamounts and the fans lingered in the air at Centennial Field.

It was in the 68th minute when UVM finally broke through in the form of a goal by Juan Peralta after a gorgeous pass from Teddy Vallee. From there, both teams had decent scoring opportunities, especially in the final minutes. However, neither team could find the back of the net until O'Neill's goal in extra time.

As a UVM student and sports fan, this was one of the most exciting athletic events I've seen since I've started attending school here. To come out and beat such a talented team, after such a dismal season just a year ago, was truly remarkable and the campus is buzzing over the result.

Video highlights and highlights are courtesy of UVM athletics. What a day in Catamount Country!

-WA

Terriers Tie Minutemen in Home Opener

Wednesday night’s contest against the University of Massachusetts was more than just a season and home opener for the Boston University men’s soccer team. The last time the Minutemen were at Nickerson Field, they left Terriers’ fans heartbroken after a 3-2 victory in double ot. That result was clearly in the minds of players and coaches Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the Terriers failed to avenge that loss, and for the second year in a row managed a 1-1 tie against the Minutemen.

“I definitely wanted this one really bad,” junior midfielder Michael Bustamante said. “I am friends with a lot of the guys from UMass as we played in club. We definitely don’t want to lose to them. We definitely wanted to win, but we didn’t get it. We got to keep working.”

Boston University coach Neil Roberts echoed similar thoughts to Bustamante. “The kids wanted this game,” Roberts said. “There is no doubt about it. It just wasn’t there. It was a very disappointing tie. We felt like we left some points up there.”

The Terriers drew first blood at the 7:35 mark, when junior Stephen Knox broke free from the UMass defense before being hauled down in the box resulting in a penalty shot for the Terriers. Bustamante elected to take the shot, and he beat Minutemen keeper Chris Piekos in the bottom right corner to send the Terrier faithful into a frenzy.

The newly formed Boston University soccer fan group called "The Pack" was present last night, as they provided a constant source of energy and noise from the stands. The Pack first appeared Sunday night when the Boston University women’s team faced the University of Washington in the Terrier Tailgate.

“We have a small contingency here of about 30 to 40 students a game, it’s not bad,” Vice President of the Boston University Soccer Club Will Funk said. “We finally cornered off a section for ourselves and setup shop. We still got to work on chants [and] work out the kinks.”

The Pack’s efforts have instantly been appreciated by Coach Roberts and his players.

“I was happy to see a lot of people come out,” Bustamante said. “We usually don’t get that support at BU. I was definitely happy that we didn’t have to have a tailgate to get that amount of people in here.”

“I think we had a good crowd tonight,” Roberts said. “I want to thank the students. It was mostly students, so that was good. We can guarantee that as this goes on we will put on a better show.”

The Minutemen took advantage of a Boston University defensive miscue and tied up the contest early in the second half. Freshman Kelvin Madzongwe mistimed a header and allowed Bryant Craft to get behind him. Craft popped a shot over the head of red shirt freshman Brandon Briggs to even up the score.

Although the Terriers gave up their lead in the second half, everyone on the squad thought they performed much better than in the first half.

“I thought we did not play well at all in the first half,” Roberts said. “We gave the ball away. We were very stiff, [but] we’re up one nothing. It’s funny. I thought we played much better in the second half. We created chances. We definitely controlled the game, but we gave up the soft goal, and you just cannot do that in these games.”

One bright spot for the Terriers was the play of Brandon Briggs. Although he only had two saves and struggled on some kicks, his solid play in net made no one in the crowd lament the graduation of Hrafn Davidsson.

“Briggs was solid,” Roberts said. “Obviously there was nothing he could in the goal, he was kind of hung out to dry. His hands were solid. It was a little frustrating that his kicks got erratic at the end. He was probably just rushing a little bit.”

While yesterday’s result was not what the Terriers wanted, their play in the second half and in the overtime sessions made fans, players, and coaches optimistic that this team is going in the right direction.

Vermont Men's Soccer Preview (Video Courtesy of UVM athletics)

Boston University Men's Soccer Preview

The Boston University Men's Soccer team starts its 2010 season today against the University of Massachusetts at Nickerson Field. Hopes are high for the Terriers after their 2009 campaign ended on a sour note. The Terriers, who at one point defeated then No. 1 ranked St. John's Red Storm, struggled in conference play, going 3-4 before losing to Hartford in the America East quarter finals.

The Terriers have a tradition of early season competition against the Minutemen. Last season Boston University opened its season in Amherst with a hard fought 1-1 draw, creating high hopes among students on campus.

The Minutemen were last at Nickerson Field in 2008 for Boston University's home opener. In a game that drew a record crowd of 5,935 people, the Minutemen left BU players, coaches, and fans (including myself) stunned with a 3-2 victory in double OT. Down 2-1 late in the second half, Massachusetts pulled out a miracle goal at the 89:57 mark. They would later score the game winner from a shot just inside of midfield, only eight seconds into the second overtime session.

Needless to say Wednesday's season opener will have added excitement as the Terriers try to avenge their 2008 heartbreaking defeat to the Minutemen.

Ranked Opponents Highlight Opening Day of Men's Soccer Schedule

The opening day of men's soccer is highlighted by two match ups against ranked opponent. The Hartford Hawks will pay a visit to No.12 ranked Boston College, while the Vermont Catamounts will host the No. 13 ranked Stanford Cardinal. 

Over the past couple of years, America East teams have had great success when competing against highly-ranked opponents. In 2009, Boston University had two wins over ranked opponents, which vaulted the Terriers into the national rankings. The Terriers won at No. 12 ranked Connecticut and also defeated No. 4 ranked St. John's at Nickerson Field. This trend of upsetting nationally-ranked opponents even carried over into conference play, as both UMBC and Boston University were knocked off by America East teams when they were ranked. In 2008, the Vermont Catamounts earned an impressive road victory over No.22 ranked Central Connecticut St.


September 1 will be the beginning of a truly impressive non-conference schedule for America East teams. Expectations are high on every campus, as a new season means that every team has the potential to achieve something great. Be sure to follow AExtra throughout the season for the latest updates and information. For a complete preview of tomorrow's men's soccer action, be sure to check out the preview on the America East Conference official website.