UMBC Midnight Madness Pump-Up Video

Here is the video shown at UMBC's Midnight Madness on Friday night. An overflow crowd showed up to the RAC Arena to watch Basketball season officially get underway. The dance and cheer teams performed, along with player introductions, a three-point shooting contest (Winner: Michelle Kurowski over Travis King) and a dunk contest (Winner: Ryan Cook over Matt Conway).

Feldman and Boston University Reach 200 Total Victories

On Wednesday October 17 the Boston University women's soccer team defeated Dartmouth College on the road 1-0. It was the eighth consecutive shutout for the Terriers who have not given up a goal since a 3-0 defeat to the University of Virginia on September 12. The Terriers have gone a total of 737 minutes without giving up a goal.

Equally important to their current shutout streak, Boston University's win on the road marked the 200th win in program history. All of those wins have come with Nancy Feldman at the helm.

After the victory Boston University Athletics got a chance to talk to Feldman.

Hitting The Links: Tip-Off Style

As many fans of the America East conference know, yesterday was the annual Basketball Tip-Off Event, which was held in Hartford, Conn. This event serves as an introduction to the start of basketball season, with the unveiling of the All-Conference team and the Preseason Coaches' poll. In honor of the approaching basketball season, this edition of the links will focus on stories and interviews from yesterday.

The Bangor Daily News caught up with men's basketball head coach Ted Woodward and women's basketball coach Cindy Blodgett to discuss their expectations for the upcoming season.

With the Basketball Tip-Off Event taking place in Hartford, the Hartford Courant ran an excellent story on men's basketball head coach John Gallagher. The Hartford Courant also caught up with women's basketball coach Jennifer Rizzotti to discuss her team, which was picked to finish second in the preseason poll.

Sea Coast Online ran a brief feature on the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team, which was picked to finish 4th in the preseason poll.

The Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin ran an excellent feature on men's basketball head coach Mark Macon, who is preparing to enter his 2nd season with the Bearcats. The Press and Sun Bulletin also caught up with women's basketball coach Nicole Scholl. Her team has high expectations entering this season.

Despite Albany being picked to finish 8th the preseason coaches' poll, the Albany Times Union thinks that the young talent that men's basketball head coach Will Brown has at his disposal could provide some excitement in the future. The Albany Times Union also had a quick blurb on the sophomore co-captains for the men's basketball team this season.

With both the Stony Brook men's and women's teams picked to finish high this season, Newsday ran excellent features with both Michele Cherry and Steve Pikiell.

Both the men's and women's teams from the University of Vermont enter this season with a lot of question marks. The Burlington Free Press discussed the captain selections for the women's  basketball team. The Free Press also caught up with men's basketball head coach Mike Lonergan to discuss his thoughts on being picked 5th in the preseason coaches' poll.

Maine Receives Signficant Grant for Athletics Renovations

The University of Maine received a $5.5 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation to be used for renovations on Memorial Gymnasium and Harold Aflond Sports Arena (Click Here for Full Release). Here is a quote from University of Maine President Robert Kennedy on the donation:

"For decades, the Alfond name has been synonymous with generous support for the University of Maine. This new gift builds on that legacy in ways that will have a meaningful impact on this university, its students and Black Bear sports fans for years to come. We are grateful to the Foundation for its generosity and long-standing commitment to supporting UMaine."

Maine interim athletic director Steve Abbott also spoke about the impact that this generosity will have on how important this gift will be for University of Maine athletics:

"These facilities are vital to the future of Maine's Division I sports program, and we are most thankful to the Harold Alfond Foundation for this generous gift and vote of confidence. Much of our program's historical success is directly attributable to Harold Alfond, and we can all look forward to a bright future for Black Bear sports, thanks largely to the continued support of this iconic Maine family."

This is a fantastic gift for the University of Maine and shows the great generosity of the Harold Alfond Foundation.

Zobre Plays Hero for Bearcats (Highlights from Binghamton Athletics)

Coming off of a big win against Vermont on Saturday, the Binghamton University men's soccer team had its second consecutive home game against Hartford last night. It was a tale of three halves, with Binghamton looking better in the first, Hartford in the second, and Binghamton in overtime. Shortly into the second OT period, the Bearcats erupted in celebration.

Junior Scott Zobre, who has recently missed time with a hamstring injury and was only subbed into the game late in the second half, scored the game-winning goal off of a scramble, giving the Bearcats (4-4-3, 2-0-1 America East) a 2-1 victory over Hartford (3-7-0, 1-2 AE). The goal was Zobre's first of the season. Binghamton now has a seven-game unbeaten streak (4-0-3) after starting the season with four losses to top-25 teams.

Binghamton has an incredible home-field advantage, having never lost a regular season match at the Bearcats Sports Complex. Last night they showed that they are always a threat to win at home at any stage of a match.

The game began with lots of back-and-forth action in the first five minutes, but no shots taken.

In the 15th minute, Binghamton sophomore Trey Jasenski launched a shot from about 40 yards out that sailed just high and left of the net. Hartford earned the first corner of the match in the 20th minute, but didn't have a shot opportunity on the set piece.

Most of the possesion in the first half was balanced between the two sides, neither garnering a real quality chance at goal. However, in the 34th minute, the Bearcats broke the scoreless tie, when freshman midfielder Tommy Moon provided a through ball for junior midfielder and captain Ryan Walter, who put the ball past Hartford junior goalkeeper Matt McElroy to put Binghamton ahead 1-0. The goal was Walter's second of the season, as well as his second in as many games, after scoring the lone goal in the win over Vermont on Saturday.

The Bearcats almost extended their lead with about four minutes to go in the first half, when sophomore Jake Keegan chased down a through ball, but his shot flew narrowly over the crossbar. Binghamton held a 4-3 edge in shots after the first half.

Binghamton held possession at the beginning of the second half, and immediately off the kickoff, sophomore Adam Whitehead went for net, trying to catch McElroy off his line, but the ball was far right and went out for a goal kick.

Hartford had a couple of corner kicks early in the second half, but the Binghamton defense didn't allow a good opportunity at goal.

In the 63rd minute, Hawks junior Patrick Boucher intercepted a pass from the Binghamton back line and had a wide open chance in the middle of the box, but Boucher could not take advantage of the opportunity and shot the ball wide right.

In the 71st minute, Hartford came through with the equalizer. Junior Liam Williams sent a ball into the box for Boucher, who headed it past Binghamton redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Chris Hayen to tie the game at 1-1.

The game remained tied after 90 minutes, and went into overtime. In the 94th minute, Walter received a cross and one touched a pass to redshirt-freshman Chris Hobbs, who fired a shot inches over the crossbar.

Then came Zobre's heroics in double OT. Walter earned an assist on the play, and now leads the team with seven points on the season.

Reigning America East Rookie of the Week Chris Hayen finished with two saves, while McElroy finished with one. Hartford held a 11-10 advantage in shots and an 8-3 edge in corners, including seven in the second half.

The Bearcats are next scheduled to play at Albany on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Two Assists by Knox Lead Terriers Over Catamounts (Highlights from Boston University Athletics)

After a disappointing conference season in 2009, the Boston University men’s soccer team looks to have regained its place as one of the top teams in the America East. Junior Stephen Knox assisted on both goals to lead the Terriers to a 2-0 victory over the University of Vermont.

“You cannot underestimate what [Stephen] Knox is doing out there,” Boston University coach Neil Roberts said. “Knox is really causing some problems and if we could get that going on the left side as well we could be real dangerous. Knox is making it a little bit easier for the guys in front because he is a handful out there.”

Boston University (8-3-1, 3-0-0 America East) had the better of the chances in the first half out shooting the University of Vermont (6-5-3, 1-2-0) 10-1, but both teams entered the intermission in a scoreless tie. The Terriers best scoring chance came with only seven minutes left in the first half. Junior Aaron O’Neal’s free kick was stopped by Catamount sophomore keeper Dave Ramada. The rebound bounced to senior Matthew Shea whose shot from the top of the box was also saved by the keeper. Ramada finished the first half and the game with five saves.

The Catamount offense woke up early in the second half. Only one minute into the second half Catamount freshman Christian Diaz found himself with space to shoot from inside the box, but Terriers’ keeper redshirt freshman Brandon Briggs was there to keep the game scoreless. Briggs finished the game with four saves and his fifth shutout of the season.

“That was a very difficult game for a young goalkeeper because the balls in the box,” Roberts said. “There were so many people in front of him that it makes it very difficult to make a decision. He probably has never been in a situation like that before.”

The dangerous Boston University offense made sure the Catamounts’ paid for their missed opportunity in the 54th minute. Knox tallied his first assist of the night when he sent a cross into the middle of the box to whom else but junior Ben Berube. By the time Berube got the ball he was a step ahead of the Catamount defender, and one timed the ball past Ramada. Berube celebrated his goal with a perfectly executed cartwheel and back flip that sent the home crowd into even greater applause.

One cannot say enough good things about Berube’s play during the Terriers’ five game winning streak and Roberts’ decision to move him to the front line. Since the move, Berube has scored six goals in five games and has tallied five straight game winning goals.

“Ben [Berube] is extremely quick, but Ben can go at people and cause problems in the defense,” Roberts said. “We knew we were going into part of our season where a lot of the teams we’re playing against were big, not really mobile defenders, so that combination would help Ben and help us. It has worked out well. You still got to finish your chances and Ben is obviously doing that.”

The home team tallied an insurance goal less than six minutes later. Knox sent an innocent pass to O’Neal who took a couple of dribbles from beyond the box to open up some space between him and a Catamount defender. O’Neal’s well placed shot surprised Ramada, who reacted late, as the ball deflected off the left post and into the net.

“I just try to do my part on the team,” Knox said. “I don’t think that is anything special. I just try to do my part so the team can be successful.”

Although the Catamounts were down two goals they began to take control of the ball in their offensive third of the field. The visitors desperately attempted to use their height to their advantage. Whether through corner kicks, throw-ins, or crosses the visitors bombarded the Boston University defense with balls in box. The Terriers’ defense was up to the task clearing most balls from danger thanks to superior positioning and strong tackles, specifically from freshman Kelvin Madzongwe.

“We played well tonight at the back,” Madzongwe said. “We communicated well. We covered every space [and] worked as a team. That is the key to our success today.”

The Terriers cannot dwell too long on this victory as they travel to the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Friday October 15 for a contest televised on Fox Soccer Channel. The Catamounts look to reach .500 in conference play on Saturday October 16 when they host Stony Brook University.

In the Polls- Thursday, October 14

As we begin to wind down the fall sports schedule, America East teams continue to succeed at a high level in multiple sports.

The strong performance from multiple men's soccer teams has been noticed in the NSCAA regional rankings. Boston University, which is off to an undefeated start in America East play, checks in at #7 in the Northeast. The Terriers have won four straight, but will be tested on Friday in one of the most highly-anticipated games of the America East season. In a game that will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m. EST, Boston University travels to UMBC for a match up with the Retrievers. UMBC is one of three men's soccer teams receiving votes in the latest rankings, along with New Hampshire and Stony Brook.

In the latest NSCAA women's soccer rankings, Boston University has climbed up to #5 in the Northeast. The Terriers are currently in the midst of a seven-game winning streak and are playing attacking soccer that is drawing fans to Nickerson Field. Boston University closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a visit to Dartmouth on October 13.

The America East continues to impress in Field Hockey, with two teams ranked in the Top 25. The Albany Great Danes remained at #18 in the latest polls despite a heartbreaking 2-1 (OT) loss to #9 Syracuse. Boston University dropped to #15 in the rankings after two home victories over Fairfield and Dartmouth.

After an idle week, the Stony Brook Seawolves women's cross country team remains ranked #12 in the country in the latest USTFCCCA polls.

AExtra would like to congratulate all the teams that have made an appearance in the rankings. In The Polls will return next week with another update on the latest achievements from all fall sports.

Hitting the Links: 10/14/2010

Today is a special edition of the Links, and there is one link that will lead you to a wealth of information.

Today is the day for the America East Tip-Off Event at the Connecticut State Capitol. As part of the event, there will be live streaming video of interviews with the head coaches from all 18 America East men's and women's basketball teams. You can check out the live stream free at AmericaEast.com.

Streaming starts at 11 a.m.

Enjoy the Tip-Off!

Hitting the Links: 10/13/2010

Hello AExtra!

I hope that you've all been doing well since the last edition of the Links. You've made it to the middle of the week...yet the fun has only just begun!

That's because tomorrow is the 2010-11 America East Basketball Tip-off Event presented by Newman's Own.

In honor of the beginning of the season, the Links begins this post with some America East basketball in the media.

The biggest news in America East basketball lately has been the announcement of the conference game that will be played in Madison Square Garden. On February 10, Albany and Boston University will square off in "The World's Most Famous Arena." The game will officially be a home game for the Terriers (a Boston team calling New York City home...preposterous!) and will take place as part two of a doubleheader with UConn and St. John's.

For more on the game in MSG, the first America East conference game held in the arena, you can check out the official release on AmericaEast.com. You can also check out what other media outlets have to say, such as the Albany Student Press, The Albany Times Union, NBCSports.com's "Beyond the Arc" blog and ESPN.com.

Also in men's basketball, the Albany Times Union "College Sports" blog has announced a change in its basketball coverage. The "lineup change," as the blog is calling it, will put Tim Wilkin in as the writer for the Great Danes.

In women's basketball, Binghamton recently hosted its media day, covered for AExtra by Binghamton correspondent Justin Tasch. The Bearcats were also featured in the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin. The article stresses the positive outlook for the Bearcat women as well as their determination to move up to the head of the pack in America East in 2010-11.

Also out of the Press & Sun Bulletin, Binghamton University was recognized for its academic and athletic achievements. The Bearcats were ranked in the top 100 in the National College Scouting Association Collegiate Power Rankings, which takes into account athletic and academic standards for universities nationwide. Binghamton was one of four America East schools to grace the rankings.

That will do for the Links this Wednesday afternoon. Be sure to go to AmericaEast.com tomorrow to check out the live stream of the Tip-off event.

Get excited, AExtra fans. Basketball is around the corner!

Boston University Men's Soccer / Vermont Preview

Courtesy of Boston University Athletics.

More From Binghamton's WBB Media Day

Here are some more videos from yesterday's women's basketball media day, courtesy of Binghamton Athletics.

Senior Jackie Ward:



Junior Andrea Holmes:



Junior Viive Rebane:

Binghamton Women's Basketball Media Day

Yesterday, the Binghamton University women's basketball team held its media day at the Events Center on campus.

Here's a video of head coach Nicole Scholl speaking with the media, courtesy of Binghamton Athletics.

Boston University Makes Impact in Medical Field

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is not necessarily a term that everyone knows off the top of their head. However, in the sports world, CTE has become a startling reality that is quickly grabbing attention in the media and in the medical field.

For those of you who have not yet heard, CTE is a degenerative disease that is related to depression, impulse control issues and various other brain-related ailments. It is believed to caused by repeated blows to the head, including those that cause concussions. This disease has been found in various stages in former athletes who have committed suicide, including in Owen Thomas, a young man who was going to be a senior captain on the football team at Penn this season.

There is an upside to this story. The Boston University medical school is at the fore in the fight against the "concussion crisis" that has recently hit the sports world. In conjunction with the Sports Legacy Institute, Boston University is studying the disease in an effort to cut it off before it picks up steam. The study, which was covered today on ESPN.com, now has a donor registry of 300 athletes who will go through annual testing and eventually donate their brains to the effort to fight CTE.

Research of CTE goes on everyday at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, and everyday, those researchers make progress in the understanding, education and hopefully the treatment and cure of CTE.





For more on Boston University and its study of CTE, be sure to check out the CTES website at www.bu.edu/cste/ and check out the article "Game Changers," by Caleb Daniloff to see how CTE, neurological research are changing how we look at sports.

UMBC Retrievers in the Community - Elementary School Reading Night

On October 5th, members of the UMBC Men's and Women's Basketball teams went to Glyndon Elementary School for a Reading Night. The players were introduced in a pep rally style introduction, and then were split up into groups to read. The players read books, jokes, and answered questions to three groups of students and gave away UMBC Athletics prizes to every one of them. All of this was part of the UMBC Community Outreach program that every Retriever student-athlete participates in.

Magarity Welcomes Rare Opportunity

When Maureen Magarity was named the head coach of the New Hampshire women’s basketball program, she became the youngest Division I head coach in the country. After four years at Army, including three years as an assistant coach, followed by one year as the associate head coach, Magarity has the unique opportunity to test herself at the highest level of intercollegiate coaching.

While Magarity certainly learned a lot during her tenure at Army, the chance to be a head coach was too  good to pass up. However, Magarity quickly learned about some of the responsibilities that come when you are in charge of the entire program.  

“I think it’s the daily decision making and the daily administrative duties,” Magarity said of the differences of being a head coach. “I think for the first couple of months it was about being able to distribute different responsibilities to my staff. Just getting organized and hiring people was probably the most challenging piece. But I feel so blessed with the staff I have. Every person brings something unique and different.”

With the team back on campus and working out, the first-year head coach has now shifted her attention to working with the players and learning how each one will fit into the system she is hoping to bring to UNH.

“Now that the girls are back and we are getting closer to the season, my role really isn’t too much different from before. As an assistant, in the preseason, you are typically pretty hands on during the individual workouts. Now that I am a head coach, because it is a brand new team, I want to evaluate each kid. So at this point, I am down on the floor as much as when I was an assistant, just because I am so excited and I want to see what each kid brings.”

One of the key tasks for Magarity during her first season at UNH will be figuring out how to incorporate her system into the program, while figuring out the best way to utilize the talent that is on the roster.

“It’s completely different when you talk about putting in a whole new system,” the UNH head coach emphasized. “You need to see what the kids can do, what positions they are comfortable at, and even evaluate them fundamental wise. Honestly, it’s just a trial-and-error right now. Every day we are teaching. I think that is going to be our theme this year. We are trying to instill a good ground work for the system we want to run. We have some great players, and you always want to play to the strengths of the players you have. But it’s also important to build a solid base for the system you want to play in the future.”

While there is no question that the success on the court will come as Magarity grows into her role as the head coach, she can already count on the incredible support that the entire community of Durham, N.H. has shown since she arrived on campus.

“That was one of the things on my interview that I noticed,” the first-year head coach said of the community support. “Not only the athletic department itself, with the different coaches and Athletic Director Marty Scarano, but also outside in the community. Everyone in the community is just so welcoming. It’s a small community, so if you go downtown for lunch, people already know who you are. It’s a great energy and a great feeling for me. It’s such a beautiful area and such a great academic school. So many of the other sports have been so successful and hopefully I can emulate what they have done over the past 20 years.”

UNH Draws With UMBC On Homecoming Saturday

Following their first two losses of the season, the University of New Hampshire men's soccer team battled America East rival UMBC to a 0-0 tie on a cold Homecoming Saturday night.

It was a hard fought game between two of the better teams in America East, and while the Wildcats could not come away with their first conference win of the season, they were happy with the result.

“I think its good we came out, we've been flat the last two games, we played hard and just weren't lucky enough to win tonight,” senior captain Brad Hilton said.

UNH outshot the Retrievers 10-4 in ninety minutes of regulation, creating numerous scoring opportunities. Just ten minutes into the game, senior forward Dylan George received the ball from just outside the eighteen and fired a laser shot towards the UMBC net. Retriever goalkeeper Dan Louisignau tipped the ball with his outstretched finger tips, sending the ball a few feet over the cross bar and out of bounds.

Missed opportunities would be the theme of the game for the both teams. Especially disappointing was the fact that the Wildcats did not take advantage of 10 corner kicks, including 7 in the first half.

“I'd say finishing we could work on, but we played real hard and not everything is going to go your way,” Hildton said. “We play like that throughout the season, we are going to get a lot more wins.”

In the two ten minute overtime periods, UMBC was the team applying the pressure on goal. The Retrievers outshot UNH 5-2 in overtime, but senior goalkeeper Colin O'Donnell and the Wildcat defense held strong. O'Donnell picked up his America East leading 5^th shutout of the season, which ties a career-high for shutouts in a season already for the senior. His counterpart, Louisignau, recorded his first shutout of the season.

After starting the season undefeated, the Wildcats lost two games in a row entering the UMBC matchup. The tie pushes their record to 5-2-3, including 0-1-1 in America East. UNH head coach Rob Thompson agreed with his team captain, as he was pleased with the way the team played against a Retriever squad that had knocked the Wildcats out of the playoffs last season.

“We haven't been the toughest team, we haven't been the hardest team and I saw that tonight,” Thompson said. “We matched their toughness, we won tackles, we pressured them. I was very happy with the effort and attitude of our team tonight.”

UNH will has a tough schedule ahead of them, with five of their remaining seven regular season games on the road. Thompson said that the Wildcats will have to buckle down and compete with the intensity they displayed against UMBC.

“There's nothing you can do about that, we have a tough schedule,” Thompson said. “We just have to play with that energy and passion and commitment. We are good enough win these games, but every game we play in the conference now is going to be tight.”

The Wildcats will hit the road on Wednesday to take on Stony Brook University. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at LaVelle Stadium. 

UMBC Volleyball sweeps Hartford

Here are highlights and post-game comments from UMBC's 3-0 sweep of America East rival Hartford. The Retrievers won 25-13, 25-15, 25-21 en route to the sweep that evened up their conference record at 2-2

UMBC RAC Arena Renovations

This is an awesome video from UMBC athletics that details the renovations of the UMBC RAC Arena.

Hitting the Links Special Edition: 10/10/10

Zach Schonbrun at the New York Times has an excellent feature today on the rise of Stony Brook's athletic profile and its football program in particular. With Hofstra dropping football, the Seawolves are the lone show on Long Island. Pair that with an increased budget, multi-million dollar donations and new facilities and Stony Brook is making waves in the New York City college athletic scene.

Terriers Survive Lackluster First Half to Defeat Hartford

Expectations were high Saturday afternoon for the Terriers as they faced the University of Hartford for the second time this season. Naturally hopes are elevated from fans, players, and coaches when a team is riding a three game winning streak, playing at home, and competing against a team whom they have already beaten on the road. Boston University (7-3-1, 2-0-0 AE) survived a lackluster first half where Hartford (3-6-0, 1-1-0) had several scoring chances to come away with a 2-0 victory.

“It is always shaky coming into a conference game because there is so much emotion going into them,” junior Colin Henry said. “The first 20 minutes was shaky, lots of long balls and pressure to absorb, after that I thought we settled in a little bit better. In the second half I think we did a better job at playing with the ball on our feet.”

Hartford came out of the gates as the aggressors looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat to the Terriers earlier this season. The visitors had several solid scoring opportunities that were either thwarted by Boston University freshman goalkeeper Brandon Briggs or a Terrier defender at the last minute.

Just when it looked like the Terriers would be fortunate to go into the intermission with the game tied, the home team struck a crushing blow. The goal occurred in the 32nd minute when just seconds before Hartford had one of several possessions deep in their offensive third of the field.

Freshman Derek McCaffrey sent the ball out of danger in what first appeared to be a clear, but to a wide open Ben Berube who was several steps in front of a Hartford defender. The junior found himself in a one-on-one and calmly shot the ball into the far side of the net past Hartford keeper Luke Citriniti. The goal was Berube’s fifth in the last four games.

Hartford players and coaches were shocked that the offside flag stayed down during the play. Both Berube and Boston University coach Neil Roberts neither confirmed or denied the accuracy of the call.

“I am pretty sure I was on our half and if I was inside our half then it is not offsides,” Berube said. “Right when Derek [McCaffrey] kicked the ball I ran. I don’t think I was [offsides], but I could have been. Luckily I wasn’t called so that’s all that matters and it was a clear breakaway.”

“The [assistant] coaches said to me when the ball was played that Ben [Berube] came back and then went forward,” Roberts said. “It was a long ball so it was traveling a lot. By the time everyone looked at Ben [Berube] he was in an offside position. The linesman was right there.”

The Hawks must have still been shaken by the goal as four minutes later the Terriers added an insurance tally. Senior Ryan Shea took a shot from inside the box that hit the post and bounced to fellow senior Ben Havey whose shot found the back of a wide open net.

The visitors’ best chance came late in the first half when Briggs was out of position after he tripped over a Hartford player and the ball went to the foot of forward Patrick Boucher. The junior’s shot was headed towards the net but Henry was there on the goal line to save a goal.

“[Colin Henry] is unrecognized,” Berube said. “I usually give him the credit for my goal. I don’t have to work as hard as he does. People don’t realize it. He reads the game, he knew that kid was going to get a shot on net and he was right on the line to save it.”

In only a matter of minutes the Terriers went from being on the verge of giving up a goal to having a two goal lead heading into the locker room.

“As far as the development of the team, hopefully it doesn’t put us into a false sense of where we were at in the game,” Roberts said. “We really did not deserve to be up by two. I think we had so much time that we gave some poor passes and they came down on us. Their attacks in the first half were mainly through us giving them the ball and then them coming.”

The second half was relatively uneventful as Boston University’s defense tightened up as they held Hartford to only two shots on goal in the final 45 minutes. Although the Terriers struggled at times on Saturday afternoon all that mattered was that they walked away with three conference points and stayed on top of the America East standings.

Both squads continue conference play on Wednesday October 13 as Hartford travels to Binghamton University and Boston University plays host to the University of Vermont.

“The three road points last week were big and any time you can pick up three points is good,” Roberts said. “We got to do better if we want to win this league and we got two huge games this week. We really cannot play like we did today. Our goal is always to be one of the top two teams in the conference by the end of the regular season. We are starting off well, but we aren’t there yet.”

Binghamton wins homecoming game 1-0 over Vermont

Homecoming. It’s always one of, if not the biggest game of each season for the Binghamton University men’s soccer team. Saturday was a festive atmosphere, beginning with the pregame tailgate, which began at 4 p.m. and ran up to game time. The crowd was absolutely electric, even before the game began.

After a non-conference homecoming last season, the Bearcats hosted Vermont in their first home America East match of the season, as the team celebrated its 50-year anniversary of the men’s soccer program. Soccer alums from each of the past five decades were on hand, including members of the original team, when the school was still Harpur College.

The night culminated in storybook fashion for the majority of those in attendance, as Binghamton came away with a 1-0 victory in front of 2,240 fans at the Bearcats Sports Complex, the third-largest crowd in the facility’s history.

The Bearcats (3-4-3, 1-0-1 AE) pushed the Vermont (6-4-3, 1-1 AE) defense early on, registering three shots within the opening seven minutes, including an open opportunity from freshman Tommy Moon that was saved by Catamount goalkeeper Xan Rousselle.

In the 15^th minute, Binghamton was able to break through. Sophomore Adam Whitehead fired a shot from the 30-35 yard range. Rousselle made the stop, but his attempt to catch the ball failed and junior and captain Ryan Walter was there to clean it up and score his first goal of the season, putting the Bearcats ahead 1-0. Walter is the seventh different Bearcat to score a goal this season. Whitehead was credited with an assist, giving him a team-high four for the season. He now also has six points on the year, tying him with senior Kyle Manscuk for the team lead.

The lead stood after the first half. In the waning seconds of the half, Bearcat redshirt freshman Tommy Klim launched a shot from roughly 40 yards out that sailed just over the crossbar. Binghamton outshot its opponents 7-2 during the first 45 minutes.

Despite more scoring opportunities, Vermont could not net the equalizer in the second half. Each team recorded five shots in the half, but Binghamton held a decisive 6-0 advantage in corner kicks. BU redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Chris Hayen made three saves en route to his third clean sheet of the season.

With the win, Binghamton extended its unbeaten streak to six games. The Bearcats have won each of their past three meetings with the Catamounts.

“The guys were fantastic tonight,” Binghamton head coach Paul Marco said following the match. “They competed very well against a very good team, and I thought a couple of our special guys were extremely special tonight. Adam Whitehead was outstanding; I don’t know why they gave Walter the Man of the Match. To me, Whitehead was special, and Walter…was everywhere. Those two guys were great, but I was really proud of our guys tonight.”

Marco detailed some of the interactions that took place between his squad and the alumni throughout the weekend.

“We had an event [Friday] night that was just an informal social with the alum,” he said. “We had a couple come to training last night. All of my guys, the current team, came to watch the alumni game and cheered them on. I think there really is a connection. I would like to see that connection grow. [Former head coach] Tim Schum is certainly helpful in that regard. A guy that was at the helm for so many years, and a guy who can really help continue to build that relationship with our founding fathers, to the guys in the 80s who were pretty successful, and then the 90s…so I see us really trying to build that relationship a little bit more, and hopefully next year’s group will be bigger than today’s group.”

It was memorable day for many on the Binghamton campus Saturday. The Bearcats are next scheduled to face Hartford at home on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.